Research
by NightOwlCC
Summary: Several years had passed since the barrier between worlds had been eliminated. Life is easy and uneventful, and new people mingle with the old team of detectives. Kurama is in his senior year in college when a first-year student approaches him about a project that could shake the values of society. Yomi and Kuronue make an appearance too.
1. Pilot

Steam was swirling up from a hot cup of chocolate from the coffee machine in the hallway. It was a bit late for coffee, though his mind needed a break and his eyes were thankful to see a splendid frozen landscape from the window of the university's building labeled B. It belonged to the faculty of biology, medicine, and educational studies, and it was located in a fairly large campus at the top of a hill, overlooking part of the city, two residential projects and vast woods surrounding them.

There were few lights on in the entire building, and he was probably the last one still roaming the laboratories, but he didn't mind. There was a sense of serenity in the stillness of it all, of belonging, despite the coldness of the rooms. Kurama even liked the scent of disinfectant, which he associated not only with cleanness but also with his field and future workplace.

Much to his surprise, the red-head heard a set of steps climbing up the stairs. They didn't seem very confident or heavy - on the contrary. The steps were light, a little unsure, but not hesitant - more like someone was looking for a certain floor or a certain room. A sensor light confirmed his suspicion as it turned on at the other end of the hallway, right at the top of the stairs. He could see a small figure checking the floor and then slowly making its way towards him.

Since there had been a few good minutes of relative stillness, the sensor lights around him were off, which only gave him an advantage. The person was human and posed no threat. She wasn't Asian though...

As she got closer, Kurama noticed natural waves and loose curls forming a mane. He initially thought her hair was black, but under the cold light, it became clear that it had been dyed a deep purple with black undertones and violet highlights. Grey eyes soon became aware of his existence and a tired smile curved her thin lips.

"Hi! You've got no idea how glad I am to see someone still here!" she laughed in Japanese with an accent he couldn't recognize. Words were flowing with ease, nearly blending into one another, and she spoke rather fast for a foreigner.

Kurama gave her a smile in return. "Hello. Can I help you?"

"I don't know... Do you know a guy Minamino? A friend told me to look for him."

That was interesting. Kurama was pretty sure that he did not know this girl, however, they seemed to have a common friend. Well... she seemed nice enough. Maybe he could help her out quickly and return to his projects.

"I am Minamino. Do you mind telling me who sent you here?"

Her face lit up, as she took out some change from a back pocket and approached the coffee machine.

"Ain't I lucky, huh?" she chuckled. "My name is Amara. Amarantha, but nobody calls me that. I've picked up this project for a national competition and when I told Keiko about it, she pointed me this way."

Kurama watched her buying herself some coffee and then turning towards him. The expression of her face reminded him of a child just waiting to open up a Christmas present, or perhaps someone who won the lottery. He wasn't very enthusiastic about doing any work for someone else, though the thought of Keiko being a good friend of his and of a national competition shining some light on his own merits made him reconsider his initial refusal.

"Hm... I don't know what to say. I am not going to write you a paper if that's what you are trying to achieve, but I could help you with some details. What kind of project is it?"

The two began walking towards one of the laboratories, Amara half a step behind as Kurama led the way. He was in his final year and his paper revolved around a way to prove that plants communicate with each other in a similar way to humans or animals, with social structures and hierarchies.

"I want to see if plants feel pain or have any reaction to it. That's the project."

Green eyes widened in surprise as they entered the laboratory. There were many pots with different kinds of plants, multiple species together, links between them and electric equipment surrounding them.

"That's an interesting topic. Do you have any idea what are you looking to find?"

"Electric impulses, probably. In animals, pain is an electric impulse deciphered by the brain."

"Plants have no brain, do they?" he continued to challenge her.

"They have no eyes either, but they react to light. They have no muscles but move - some of them really fast. The Venus flytrap even counts, so why wouldn't it feel pain?"

Kurama gestured for her to take a seat beside him as he began writing down a series of observations from the display of the equipment.

"I see why Keiko told you to come here. I could help you with the practical part of your research, maybe a little more, but my time is limited. I will be graduating this year and I need to work on my own paper."

Amara sat cross-legged. "I'm not asking you to do everything! I just need some guidance on this. The deadline is at the beginning of June, on the 5th, so there's plenty of time for me to write it, but I need to know what to write."

He nodded. "I could give you a few authors to study, and help you with the actual experiments. Do you want to study a certain plant?"

"Actually... My neighbors are moving out in a week and they have this giant Yucca they don't want to take along. I offered to take it, but trust me - it's huge! It has five stems and reaches the ceiling. I think it would be strong enough to take a little hustle without dying in the middle of the experiment."

A smile crept upon his face as Kurama held back from laughter. "I don't suppose you will be bringing it here, so we will have to install a few tracking devices at your place, I suppose."

"I was hoping you won't have me carrying it here, you know?"

Kurama chuckled along. "How about we get to know each other a little bit more? I could help you move the plant if you want."

"Tomorrow is Saturday, so... How about I message you after I'll be done with work and we can meet up somewhere? It will be around 6 PM."

"Alright. Is that your usual schedule?"

Amara nodded. "Ten hours a day for the weekend and I get the weekdays off. A part-time job like that and the scholarship cover up most of what I need. By the way, since I'm here, can I help you with anything?"

That was nice of her to ask. Kurama stood up. "Well, there's not much left for today... You can help me with the cleaning up if you want."


	2. Company

They had met in the city, at the southern entrance to the central park. Kurama was a little early. Although he didn't want to admit, the thought of meeting Amara there made him a little anxious - enough to dress up just a little bit. In the past few years, his fashion palette had slowly shifted towards some darker greens and browns, as those seemed to fit him well and give him a more sophisticated air than his previously preferred pastels. Sometime after the Dark Tournament, Hiei did mention something about this, but he didn't mind it back then. Now, he was wondering what would Hiei say if he saw him following his late suggestion.

A couple of minutes after seven, Amara was crossing the street towards the park's entrance. Her taste seemed to match Hiei's more than his own, as she was wearing black from head to toe, but Kurama had to admit that it looked good on her. It made her hair color pop more, and her skin looked lighter.

"I'm so sorry I'm late, I missed the bus and had to wait for the next one," she quickly apologized with a smile.

He shook his head and offered her his arm. "I didn't notice. I thought I was going to be late - I only just arrived."

That was a lie. Amara noticed he didn't seem to be panting and his cheeks were not red enough to show that he might have been rushing just now.

"I appreciate that you're trying to make me feel better."

"At least, I tried," Kurama chuckled.

The two entered the park and began wandering down the alleyways, between leafless trees and flowerbeds covered by snow. There were a few birdfeeders every here and there and they stopped to watch the urban sparrows and finches dueling over seeds.

"You seem quite... exotic," he mentioned. Amara wasn't a face easy to lose in a crowd.

Catching the reference, she began to laugh. "Exotic? Well, I guess... I'm only here for college, but even so, I want to travel as much as possible. At the end of summer, I'm leaving for Switzerland for a year with a scholarship, I've been admitted last week."

That made Kurama wonder why hadn't he taken part in any such projects. He certainly would have been admitted, given he had always had the highest grades in his year.

"I wish you the best. To be truthful, I did think of going abroad for a year, but for some reason, I always remained here."

She shrugged. "I'm Italian, and my parents are university professors, but they broke up when I was ten. My dad's been so controlling of me, that I jumped at the first opportunity to go as far away from him as possible."

"On the other side of the globe," he pointed out in amusement.

"Precisely!" Amara laughed. "But that also means I can't go to him for financial support. I ran from home - he found out only after I was gone."

"You seem very determined, though. I don't think this would be enough to stop you."

"You're right. Do you have any hobbies?"

Kurama was used to money being a sensitive topic, so he didn't say anything about the way she had shifted the conversation.

"I have a small collection of plants if that counts as a hobby."

"Me too! Well, my place is small, so... I can't have too many. Do you have anything you like doing? Other than plant-sitting."

"I tend to be quite busy, most of the time."

Amara nodded in understanding. "I'm a fire juggler. I guess it's an occasional job since I can perform for money - that's how I could afford to fly here and find rent and whatnot, but I like it."

"I don't think I've seen anything like this." Kurama was intrigued. The girl did seem quite athletic, but he would have never guessed she juggled with fire.

She shrugged. "It's still rare, so people are usually in awe. That means they pay well, but I can only perform in warm, dry weather."

"I see... I think it's a great conversation starter."

"Yes and no. Kuwabara began to laugh and called me a liar, and then I kind of might have punched him."

Kurama had to hold back a laugh. "Sounds very much like him. I doubt he knew about this sport."

"It's not recognized as a sport yet, so it can be anything I make it out to be, you know? I usually combine some amateur gymnastics with some dance moves and freestyle improvising."

Before they knew it, they were by the eastern entrance of the park.

"Wouldn't you prefer going somewhere warmer? It's only going to become colder from now."

"I don't want you spending money on me, but I enjoy our conversation..."

Most girls would have suggested one of the many restaurants or cafes nearby, so this caught him by surprise, but only for a second.

"I would gladly invite you over, but I wouldn't want you thinking this invitation as indecent in any way."

Amara didn't seem offended - on the contrary. "Well, it's anything but polite for me to suggest that..."

A thought began taking root in his mind rapidly. Perhaps, it was his luck that Keiko sent this Italian his way. Westerners weren't as shy as Easterners, and that was generally accepted as truth. Even his demonic self found some bit of interest in her, though it was mostly a sense of curiosity and a mild desire for fun.

"If you trust me enough to follow..."

Amara noticed a small grin in the corner of his mouth and a glow in his green eyes. Hell, he seemed harmless enough, and if it led to something else, she was confident that her juggler skills could help her get out of any unwanted situation. He was attractive, but in case he had some weird fetishes... It wouldn't be her first time running out the window.

"I trust myself more than I trust you at the moment, but I like you, I'll tell you that. When she sent me to find you, Keiko didn't mention your way of... being."

Wasn't that unexpected? Kurama remembered that she was going to leave in a year and judging by her confessions, there was a chance she won't be settling down in the next decade or longer. This could be an interesting fling for a few months, and then he might never see her again, but as long as she agreed, he was willing to chase.

"What about it, if you don't mind being more specific?"

Kurama wrapped one arm around her shoulders and began leading her away, in the opposite direction from her home, and towards the rich part of the city. Since they were walking, Amara figured out that he didn't live far. There were a few residential quarters built on top of old buildings that had been demolished, right in the heart of the city, but those were crazy expensive and looked rather luxurious from the outside.

"You're so confident, yet gentle and educated, and it's the first time I meet someone like you. I usually go for the cocky-confident asshole - it never works out, but the 'I want it, I take it' attitude gets me every time." Amara rolled her eyes. "I'm a fool," she laughed.

As anticipated, Amara found herself eventually stopping in front of one of the new buildings, waiting for Kurama to enter the access code. They took the lift to the second-highest floor, and Kurama searched his pocket for the keys.

"I see. I can't say I have a type like you do."

Once the door opened, he let her inside first and then followed. It was a simple single-bedroom apartment with a living room separated from the kitchen, a bathroom, and a hallway. All the doors were open so Amara could catch a glimpse of each room as she was bending down and taking off her boots. She hung her coat and Kurama did the same.

"How so? I think you're quite popular. Actually, no - I bet!"

Kurama chuckled and invited her into the living room. The wall opposing the enormous windows was covered in exotic tropical plants, both ordinary and carnivorous, creating a layered micro-jungle. The first thing Amara did was poke a mimosa plant, which quickly closed its leaves around its stem. She looked inside the pitcher flowers and put her nail inside a flytrap, quickly pulling it away as the plant closed its mouth.

"Oh my god!" she gasped in awe. "It's like a pet!"

Her behavior was stressing out the plants, but Kurama couldn't be mad. She honestly looked like a little child again.

"Please don't mess around too much... Yes, they're kind of like pets. Why do you think I'm so popular?"

Amara straightened her back and held her hands behind her back. "I suppose you have mirrors in your house, right? And you see yourself in them, so that should answer your question."

Kurama noticed that she was wearing a thin blouse which framed her chest beautifully, while still being very decent, closed to the neck.

"I haven't had that many girls as you might think."

That sly smile said something different, but Kurama didn't care to hide it. He had never had a Westerner, much less a fisty runaway who just happened to juggle with fire and know some gymnastics.

"...I see the way you're looking at me, but I don't know if I can work on that project with you and be with you at the same time. I get distracted easily and end up doing no work at all."

The redhead tilted his head and shrugged. "That's up to you. I can't guarantee anything."

Amara began to laugh and went to lounge herself on the sofa. "You're unbelievable..." The girl rested her shoulder on the back of the couch and twisted her head back to look at the cityscape while crossing her legs.

"Should I take it as a compliment? Oh, do you want something to drink, maybe? Or are you hungry?"

The girl let her chin over her hand. "Coffee would be great, but it's kind of late for that."

Kurama sat at the other end of the couch and turned on the TV for background noise. "I find you equally interesting. I've noticed your energy and child-like enthusiasm, yet you are undoubtedly intelligent."

"Is this place yours? It's splendid and very well kept."

Kurama smiled. "Yes, since two months ago. I've been living with my mother until I saved up enough for this apartment."

"...Nice. Though, I'm kind of embarrassed to show you where I live now."

"If I'm not being indecent, can you tell me your situation?"

Amara chuckled softly. "You know what's funny? You're so careful with your words, but you look at my body. I only allow it because I like you, but why do you treat me like a ticking bomb? I'm not going to explode if you ask me something."

"Well, then, why do you say you'd find it embarrassing?" he smiled. So she did notice it.

"I live in the bad quarter. It's the cheapest I could find. I have a room with a bathroom, and I improvised a kitchen in a corner."

The ease in her voice and the bitterness he caught in her eyes for only a second before she looked away, sighed, only to smile again... Kurama knew that instant that life was rough for her. Perhaps he should have noticed earlier, but for some reason, he didn't.

That's when a thought crossed his mind and rolled off his tongue at the same time.

"Why don't you move in with me? I could occupy the living room."

The Italian was star-struck. "...What? But... Aren't you scared I could rob you or something?"

Smiling, Kurama shook his head. "That wouldn't happen, and if by some chance it would, I have my ways to fix it."

"I'm pretty much a stranger to you..."

"Perhaps, so far, but you are a friend of Keiko, right? I suppose you know the others of our group as well. Keiko wouldn't have sent you asking for my help if she didn't trust you. I'm a very private person and I rarely partner with anyone. It's just to avoid people taking advantage, I'm sure you can relate."

Amara nodded without hesitation. "I'd be so grateful if you'd take me in. I'm currently paying 900 rent, and the scholarship is only 800. If I didn't have to pay that rent, I could give up the part-time job and just focus on school and our side-project."

"We could split bills evenly, and you wouldn't have to pay rent."

"Not to seem ungrateful, but... why? What do you get?"

Kurama smiled softly, but there was a glow in his green eyes that spoke for itself.

"I suppose 'company' is a good answer. You'd have to stop teasing the plants though."

After a split second, Amara began to laugh.


	3. Delicious Monster

As soon as they were both awake and aware of each other's state, Kurama drove to her rented room and help her gather her things. There was a building built as a dorm for the university many years ago, where people eventually began to live and build bathrooms inside the individual rooms so they could call those 'apartments'. Those weren't exactly his definition of comfortable living, and that side of town was barely safe, which made him glad that he could help her out of this situation.

The girl welcomed him inside. Despite the condition of the building, her 'apartment' was clean. It smelled of cigarettes and herbs, and everything seemed to know its place, despite the space being so small. The furniture had been thought so that it would make use of every square inch, but what made the place feel livable were the plants.

Kurama noticed six relatively small pots. In one of them, there was a fragile-looking vine with small leaves. It had a couple of red streaks on its stem, but not enough for the pink variety. At the same time, he noticed white and yellowish-green streaks on the back of the leaves.

"This is a hybrid..."

Taking a break from packing, Amara looked over his shoulder. "I don't know. I took a cutting from the honeysuckle growing on my grandmother's wall."

Kurama nodded slowly. Just then, the plant began to react to his energy and about five little flowers appeared on the stem he had been holding. They were an odd combination of two or three colors: white with yellow streaks, pink with white edges, yellow with a subtle blush. A rush of panic crossed his spine as he glanced behind him.

So far, it seemed like Amara hadn't noticed the change. Perhaps she was too busy going through her clothes and papers, but as long as she didn't suspect anything, he wasn't going to complain.

What he didn't know was that Amara had noticed the change, but she was pretending otherwise. It seemed they both had their secrets, though this didn't answer her one question... Amara's weapon had activated through the night, only for a brief moment, as demonic energy woke her up and vanished a few minutes later. Did that have anything to do with her honeysuckle blooming all of a sudden, or with Keiko recommending Minamino Shuichi for helping her out on her plant research?

"Alright, I think that's it!" The girl had placed two suitcases by the door and a shopping bag. "I've only got the plants left."

"Let's take them to the car. We'll come back for that yucca you've been telling me about, alright?"

With a nod of her head, they each picked up as much as they could carry down the stairs and loaded Kurama's car. After that, Amara knocked on the door of her neighbor and asked for the plant. In truth, Kurama was curious about what she had called a 'truly gigantic monster plant', but it was only an old Yucca that hadn't been pruned in a while and had grown a little past its usual size. The two of them were able to fit it in the back with a little bit of a struggle, and then finally into Kurama's apartment.

Just as Amara opened the door to Kurama's bedroom, a flash of demonic energy made her weapon activate once again. The seal keeping it in place tore around the edges, as she felt the needles struggle against her skin, but before she could react it was gone.

Kurama noticed that her hand had frozen on the door handle. He had to find Hiei and talk to him, warn him about Amara living there.

"Is everything alright?"

The Italian nodded slowly. "Mmhm... I just got this feeling that I might have forgotten something. Sorry, my mind is playing tricks on me."

"Don't worry. If you need it, we can go back anytime. Have you talked to your landlord?"

Noticing a quick escape from the situation, Amara slapped her forehead. "Ah! That's what I forgot! I'll call in a minute. So, then, if you can make some space for my things in the wardrobe... I mean, I won't look through your things, but I need a place for mine."

Kurama placed a hand on her shoulder and the other over hers, opening the door. Of course, the window Hiei usually used was spread widely.

"I appreciate it. I'm going to free up the right half, is that alright?"

"Looks like enough," the girl chuckled. "I'll be outside for a smoke if you don't mind. I need a break."

"Ah, you smoke? I thought I sensed something before."

Amara shrugged, already on her way towards the living room's balcony. "Bad habit. Now it's only occasional, but I used to smoke a pack a day."

"Can't say I support that habit," Kurama continued their discussion. The doors were open between them and they could hear each other with ease.

The girl leaned with her elbows against the railway and lit up a cigarette. She didn't lie about it - smoking calmed her down.

"I've cut down on them a lot."

Her hand slipped over her weapon, neatly strapped to her outer thigh, underneath her black jeans. It was a set of two needles, a little longer than her palms when not active, but quite long and difficult to hide when ready for battle. They enhanced her spiritual awareness and were connected to her on a deep energetic level, to the point where her weapon felt more like a partner than anything else.

After moving some of his clothes, Kurama joined her on the balcony.

"Maybe you could try to quit."

She shrugged. "They remind me of someone. I don't think I'll ever quit completely, but I can go on for months without smoking sometimes."

"May I ask who?" He approached the railway and looked over the unfolding image of the city's busiest arteries.

"My father. He smokes a lot, two packs a day when life's rough, one pack when it's light."

"That's far from healthy."

A thought crossed her mind and Amara smiled bitterly for a moment. "I suppose..."

It was obvious she didn't want to continue on the subject, so Kurama changed it.

"I'll go buy some more pots if you want to join me."

"Just pots?" she asked as she put out the butt of the cigarette and threw it into the wind.

"Pots and soil, fertilizer, and whatever else I might find interesting. Do you have any plans for the honeysuckle? It needs some kind of support and I'm out of hanging baskets."

Amara gave him a thankful smile. "Sure! Sounds great to me. By the way, have you ever had Italian food?"

The red-head returned her smile. "I doubt that I had."

"Let me look through your kitchen then. I'm sure I can make some quick pasta, at least."

After she stepped back inside the apartment, Kurama saw Hiei in the corner of his eye, standing on the rooftop of the next block. He needed to explain this whole living together situation to him... Hiei couldn't come around as often as he used to.

"Just a small problem, though. I don't think I have pasta, and by that, I mean I am quite sure."

"I brought some from my other place. There's an Italian store not too far from the university's main building."

Kurama followed her into the kitchen. "Really? I never noticed it."

"Yes - on a side street, past the liqueur store, and to the left. They import wine too, among many other things, and Italian cheeses."

Outside, moving from one building to the next, a dark figure was fading away in the blink of an eye. It had been three years since he had been freed of his duty of hunting down humans who reach the Demon world and safely return them home, yet he remained at the border between the two worlds. Kurama had chosen the Human world, while Mukuro was uninterested in it. Those were his main reasons for staying in between.

Well, those two and his sister. Hiei arrived at Genkai's temple in the afternoon and saw Yukina making dinner through an open window. This time, he managed to hide his presence from her, but not from Genkai.

"What's up, Hiei?" the old woman asked from underneath the tree in which he was seated.

Hiei threw her a look. "Nothing."

"You're here earlier than usual. Is Kurama alright?"

"Hmph! What makes you think I'd know?!"

A sly grin appeared on Genkai's face. "So I was right - something did change, and it's bothering you."

Later that evening, after getting their hands dirty and repotting about twenty plants, cleaning dying leaves and pruning, it was finally time to kick back and call it a day. Amara took a pillow from the couch and sat in a corner beside a baby palm and a giant monstera that had taken over that part of the room.

"How do you have such plants?" she asked, looking at the foliage above.

Kurama was just returning to their shared space with two cups of tea.

"Most are very easy to keep. They might seem like a lot of work, but late winter to early spring is when most of the hard work happens."

"That's not what I mean. This monstera's main stem is as thick as my forearm! I bet it's quite old, right? So did you get most of these plants as apart of family heritage, or spend a load of money on them?"

He sat beside her and offered her one cup, which she gladly accepted. That was a tricky question. Most people didn't have so many plants in their homes and if she ever met his mother by any chance, she would go on talking about him being the only plant-lover in their lineage. Well, everyone loved plants, but not to that extent.

"I honestly don't remember where I've got each plant... Some I found in the paper - people moved and couldn't take the plants with them, so they were either cheap or free. I've got many as gifts or cuttings, I've stolen a few of these cuttings... They seem to be growing very quickly inside my house."

The girl smiled in amusement.

"I've stolen a few cuttings too. Is it just me, or do stolen plants seem to root faster?"

"There's no scientific evidence to this..."

"I know. But they do, right? Tell me you've noticed."

Kurama had to nod his head in defeat. He had noticed this many times, although when he tried to research it, he found nothing conclusive.

"You're really good with plants... I'm kind of jealous, you know?" she chuckled. "For some reason, I can't keep begonias alive. I think I've had six or seven, and they all died on me."

"Begonias aren't that difficult... You just need to create the right conditions, be careful with humidity, and light, and how often you water them... Alright, they are a bit demanding."

"A bit more, if you ask me!" the girl laughed. "I love my honeysuckle. It doesn't care about the soil, it's happy by any window, it doesn't mind too much water and it won't start dying if I skip a day or two of watering. Pothos are pretty much the same, minus the flowers."

"Correct, though you can't go for anything easier than those."

"And that wall of yours, that vertical jungle thing...! I just love it!"

That was the very first statement piece that drew her attention when Kurama first invited her into the apartment. On a frame with soil and occasional wooden branches was an impressive number of vines, mosses, orchids, carnivorous plants, and some leafy beauties Amara couldn't identify.

"That was a personal project a few years ago, a way to deal with stress."

"What happened then?"

Kurama hesitated for a second. He couldn't say that Yomi had tried to blackmail him into an alliance using the life of his mother.

"Nothing too major, don't worry - just the admission exams, and my mother remarried... I organized their wedding by day and studied by night."

"And created a vertical jungle in between?"

"Yes, in the one or two hours I had after an exam, before joining the preparations again."

"I would have been too tired for side-projects," Amara noted, just as something managed to catch her attention. "What's that?"

Kurama followed her eyes to the pot of the monstera and found an odd growth looking much like a sharpened egg in a paler green than the rest of the plant.

"It's going to bloom and bear fruit."

The girl turned on her side and drew herself closer. "I've never seen a monstera in bloom! I didn't even know they do!"

Her curiosity was amusing to Kurama. "Most office plants do..."

"Is it edible? The fruit."

"With a lot of precaution, yes, it can be. The name of the plant means 'delicious monster', which is quite accurate. If unripe, the fruit is full of oxalic acid, so not the most fortunate choice. However, if it's ripe, it can be eaten in small quantities. It's very flavorful and sweet."

"So you've had this before?"

"Yes. This plant bears fruit every other growing season or so, but it needs about a year to ripen."

Suddenly, her enthusiasm was gone. "I'll be in Switzerland by the time it's ripe!"

"You could take a day or two off, maybe..."

Amara laid on her stomach, holding the pillow under her chin. "I guess that could work."


	4. Shameless

Monday after classes, they brought all the necessary equipment for Amara's little experiment and installed it in the bedroom. The giant yucca had been pruned, and three new plants were placed in water so they could grow some roots of their own. Once that was done, Kurama returned to the university to continue with his research, while Amara remained in their shared apartment. Since she didn't have a key yet, she had to wait for Kurama to return before leaving the house, but she didn't mind it all that much. He had left her a ton of sources to read and she could finally begin sketching out the introduction and the general structure of the paper.

The girl was quick to feel at home. She took a shower while playing music from the TV in the living room, then unpacked her things. She was going to wait for her hair to dry out naturally, and she barely bothered to put on a pair of underwear and a loose cropped top. Amara had no problem walking that way through the entire apartment, completely unaware that a pair of eyes were watching her. She made some pizza dough, danced around the house, studied - but it was something else that had caught Hiei's attention.

Two silvery long and extremely thin things had suddenly grown in size, enough to fall off their shelf and knock off a lighter and a pack of cigarettes in Kurama's bedroom.

"Oh, not again..." Amara complained out loud. "Deactivate! Come on, Leyla, we're safe. Deactivate already!"

After picking up the pair, it eventually returned to its previous form. What kind of witchcraft was that?

Several minutes later, Hiei had found Kurama in the laboratory which he has been using for nearly a year now. He stopped on the windowsill and waited for Kurama to pay attention.

"Yes, Hiei, what is it?" the red-head mumbled without turning to face him.

"That woman in your house..." he began.

"...What about her?" Kurama urged him to continue.

"She's hiding something. A strange weapon - she talks to it."

Kurama eventually looked up. "I thought so... But she's human, no doubt about that. Besides, I don't feel any spiritual energy coming from her side."

"Are you just going to ignore it? She's inside your house!"

"I can't attack her for no reason - and neither can you. So, unless you have any suggestions, I think I'm going to pretend I'm not aware of her weapon. From what I've seen so far, she doesn't have any intention of actually using that weapon, so if it's just something she carries around, I won't mind."

Hiei looked away. "...I don't trust her."

Instead of pointing out the obvious truth that Hiei wasn't exactly a trusting person, Kurama decided to explore what the demon wasn't saying.

"What else do you not like about her?"

"...She's shameless."

Green eyes searched Hiei's face, trying to understand what exactly he meant by that.

"Do you mind going into detail?"

Turning away, Hiei was ready to leave and a faint blush threatened to show up on his face.

"Why don't you check for yourself, since you're ignoring my warning?"

Once his partner had disappeared, Kurama decided he might as well call it a day. It was already 5 pm and he could afford to take a few hours off. He was well ahead of his schedule with the research on plant communication. The conclusions were beginning to take shape and he knew he had three main clues to follow: electrical impulses, chemical trails, and DNA recognition.

Arriving home early, Kurama took care not to be particularly noisy, yet not to sneak inside either. He could hear music playing. As it was early February, the apartment was rather dark, aside from the light of the TV. A pungent scent hit him as soon as he set foot into the hallway. Every door was open, as well as a window. Amara was laying on her stomach on the carpet in the living room, blowing air onto her freshly painted nails. Beside her were a bottle of nail polish and a small bowl of something that smelled very much like chocolate. Nothing shameless about that, right? Except, perhaps, that she was in her underwear and a rather small top.

Once she became aware that her housemate was looking at her, she smiled. "Hi. Didn't expect you home so early."

Kurama's eyes couldn't help but follow the outline of her mid-back, over her cheeks and thighs, but as much he appreciated the sight, he couldn't help a sense of sadness. Deep scars were covering the Italian's legs from the ankles to her hips.

"Yes, I was done earlier than I expected. Are you...? I mean, if you want to talk about..."

Amara looked up at the TV, pretending to be interested in a music video.

"I was caught in a fire. It happened long ago..."

Kurama nodded slowly in understanding and held back a sigh. He hanged his coat and took off his shoes.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to invade your, um, privacy." That could refer to two aspects and he had only realized it after he had said it.

Amara stood up. "Don't worry. I'll go put on some pants."

Kurama used the opportunity to change his clothes as well into a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. Why did Hiei have to make him want to come home early and see her that way? It was clear she didn't expect him to be there and was comfortable being alone. He had his moments of walking around less than fully dressed as well when he knew he wasn't expecting anyone. What was so wrong about Amara doing the same?

The tension was obvious, as Amara had withdrawn into her room and immersed herself into the study.

A knock on her door awakened her back to the reality of her surroundings.

"Yes?"

"Is it alright if I come in?"

The girl rolled her eyes just for a moment. It was his apartment, he could do whatever he wanted.

"Sure."

Kurama entered the room which used to be his until a few days before.

"I've made some dinner and I was wondering if you're hungry, by any chance?"

He saw her considering the idea for a painful amount of time.

"What's for dinner?"

"Salmon and grilled vegetables."

"And wine?"

"...Sadly, no. Do you want wine?"

Amara stood up from the corner of the bed and stretched her arms straight above her head, tensing up her legs and abdomen as well.

"If you told me earlier, I could have placed an order... But if we go out right now, the food will get cold, right?"

He nodded. "Yes, most likely. Is there a certain reason why you wanted to drink?"

Amara shot him a look, though it was unintentional. She quickly looked away. That demon had set off her weapon with his energy, and not even half an hour later, Shuichi had returned home unusually quiet. These two events simply had to be linked - it was too much of a coincidence.

"Nah... Just that fish goes well with wine. Well, certain types, not all of them, you know..."

Kurama nodded. There was clearly something wrong. He allowed Amara to leave the room first and he followed her into the kitchen. His plating wasn't anything special since he didn't think it was needed, but after having felt Amara's coldness, he certainly wished he would have made it a little bit extra.

They sat down in silence and he watched Amara picking at her food.

"Is everything alright?"

The softness in his tone made her look up at him. The redhead seemed concerned.

"...I don't have such an appetite," the girl sighed.

"I'm sorry if I've seen what I shouldn't have. It was not intentional, I assure you."

"Maybe, but I hate it..." she mumbled. "Not that you saw - I don't care. It's the scars that I truly hate..."

As much as curiosity was gathering on the tip of his tongue, Kurama remained silent. If she was about to open up about her past, then he shouldn't force her. There was the risk of never finding out about her experiences if he tried to rush her.

"I told you I was caught in a fire... I've lost many people dear to me then, and I nearly died. In a way, I did die, because I was never the same afterward... It took me over a year to be able to move again, and another few months until I learned how to walk all over again. I was six years old when it happened. Whenever I see the scars, I remember everything, but it's easier to ignore them when I'm on my own."

After a moment of thought, a bitter smile came upon his face.

"You know, a friend once told me that there is no person who doesn't carry scars, and if there were, they would be a shallow soul."

Amara paused, repeating the phrase in her mind. There was something so obvious about this piece of truth, that she somehow couldn't see before, that it felt like Kurama had just opened her eyes for her.

"That makes a lot of sense. How come it's never crossed my mind?"

Kurama smiled. "That was my reaction as well."

"What was that discussion about, when your friend told you this?"

"I've... lost someone, a friend and a partner, a long time ago. Somebody had tried to manipulate me into doing something by using that memory of mine. They'd opened up an old wound. Hearing that phrase helped me make peace with reality once more and move on."

She nodded slowly. "I see... Well, I hope there's a special place in hell for people who do this. It's never acceptable to use the memory of the dead."

Kurama nodded slowly. As they were done eating, he began gathering the dishes and cleaning the table. Amara stood up and cracked her fingers above her head.

"I'll do the dishes," she offered.

"If you insist..."

Kurama stayed in the kitchen a little longer, waiting for Amara to be done with the dishes and telling her where to put everything away. Even so, deep bellow his calm surface, there was worry taking root and a sense of curiosity that was threatening to keep him awake throughout the night. The silence between them was unnatural and so, he broke it.

"We should be heading to bed..."

She hummed in agreement. "Yeah, go ahead, if you want."

"What about you?"

"I think I'll smoke one, then... I don't know. But I'll be quiet, don't worry."

His instincts were correct once more. She had no intention to sleep. "I think I could use a minute or two outside."

The Italian nodded. She took a cigarette and a lighter, as Kurama went on and opened the door to the balcony. The girl crossed the living room and followed him outside, then lit her cigarette and took a deep breath of the night air combined with smoke.

"Do you plan on sleeping tonight?" he asked, leaning against the railway with his elbows.

Amara stood by his side, leaning with her back against the metal edge and looking up towards the sky.

"Probably not."

"Do you mind sharing the reason for that?"

The Italian shrugged. "I'll get nightmares. Why sleep and wake up every hour or so, when I can stay up and avoid all that? With some luck, by tomorrow night, I'll be too exhausted for nightmares."

"Is this the usual, or...?"

"I remembered a few things I shouldn't have... It's alright, though. It happens sometimes."

A thought was spinning through his mind. Had she been an Asian girl, he wouldn't have dared to ask for something like this, given it could have been taken as an insult. However, the West raised its girls differently. After a minute of silence and Amara blowing out several small white clouds, he brought himself to say it.

"Would you still avoid sleep if you were to have some company?"

Slowly, she turned her head towards him. Her violet hair was hanging over her shoulder and high above the city below them.

"I don't know..." she whispered, right before putting out the cigarette butt. "We should buy an ashtray," she pointed out as she straightened her back and slowly stumbled inside.

"We will," Kurama agreed as he followed and closed the door between the warm, slightly humid air of the living room and the cold, dry air of the city.

Although she didn't answer his question directly, she didn't deny it either.

"If you want, you're welcome - I just wanted to let you know. Nothing has to happen."

Silent, Amara went into her room. A few minutes later, she came back in a tank top and a pair of shorts.

* * *

_Author's notes:_

_Hello, I'm glad you've made it this far. For the sake of the rating, I will be saving the more intense scenes into a different story. _

_"Research: Cut scenes" will be out soon, rated M. Young readers are advised to stick to the main story. _

_Please review and favorite! _

_-NightOwl_


	5. Rising Moon

As the snow was melting away little by little, and the cherry trees began to bend under the weight of flower buds, just waiting to blossom, their projects were beginning to pick up. Both Amara and Shuichi were in the B building of the university for the longest part of their day, working in different labs for the sake of avoiding distractions. To be honest, they were each other's greatest distraction and preferred excuse for procrastination, so working in different rooms allowed them to be productive and advance in their work.

Amara was stuck writing and editing the same section of her paper. It was obvious that plants did react to stimuli in a way that would indicate they felt something, but how could she prove it was pain? She tried gently wiping the leaves with a soft cloth, compared to spalling the plants, compared to squeezing the leaves as a young child could do in a household. Amara misted the plants, used a shower head to simulate rain, and high pressure with a fan on to mimic storms. She even tried cutting little bits of the plant's leaves and then playing the sound of the scissors on a record to see what happened.

The results were indeed different, but was this enough? The entire Vegan community will try to rip her article to shreds! Was there any way to contest her research?

She bent the plants, pinched them, twisted their leaves both playfully and aggressively. These things could not feel pleasant to any sentient being. If the signals could be assigned to more or less the same range, then perhaps, this was the proof she needed that plants did feel pain, after all!

The only aspect missing from her research was parasites... Those species ate the subject-plant, so there should be an uncontestable response of distress. Amara thought of one way to do this, but she still wanted to hear a second opinion, so she walked into the laboratory next to hers.

Kurama was analyzing the chemical compounds of drainage water from several pots of young shrubs.

"I've got an idea!"

Uncertain of what he should expect, Kurama turned towards the door slowly, trying not to mix the mediums inside the glass vial he was holding. Amara's enthusiasm was a sure sign of trouble.

"What kind of idea?"

"...What's that?"

Of course - she saw his vials and got distracted. Kurama could read her much easier now.

"I have injected one branch of the juniper in the pot number 1 with a natural insect repellant derived from the mint plant in the corner. I'll be watching through the following weeks if it shows up in the drainage water of the juniper plants numbered 2 through 5, which were not exposed to the extract. This will prove that plants do much more than simply recognize each other - they also recognize certain substances as useful and share them within their network. All of these have at least one strong root crossing back and forth to its neighbor, just like they would do in their natural environment."

Amara nodded slowly.

"Is it going to work?"

Kurama smiled in amusement. "We'll see! That's the whole point, isn't it?"

"I sure want to know the result of that! So, back to my idea - not as spectacular with colorful chemicals, but still!"

"Go ahead," he urged her.

"I'll get mealybugs to infest the plants and study their reaction. If getting eaten isn't painful, I don't know what is!"

Kurama chuckled. "As long as they don't leave the laboratory and infest the entire building... You didn't think about preventing this problem, did you?"

Her face confirmed his assumption even if she decided to deny it.

"I'll bring ladybugs inside if we get a problem. Ladybugs eat those, right? And they're cute. Maybe not to the mealybugs, but for us, they're really pretty."

"You should first find some ways to isolate the laboratory as a micro-ecosystem so that we don't have to capture every ladybug for miles and have them apply for a permanent job at the university," he laughed.

The girl scratched the back of her head, uncertain, but trying to seem positive about it.

"Well, how hard can it be? Is it safe if I spray insect spray around the door and window frames?"

"It's worth a try, but you'll have to be very persistent with it."

The girl nodded. "So, do you have a lot of work to do right now, or can it wait for a bit?"

"I think I can take a break in half an hour," Kurama estimated. He continued with his work, as Amara took a seat at a table to the side.

"It's lunchtime, by the way. I know you tend to forget about it."

Kurama gave her a little smile. "Already? Time flies, I suppose..."

"I also got a message about two hours ago. It's from an unknown number, saying we should go to the Rising Moon restaurant for lunch today."

This was odd, to say the least. Kurama had never been tot hat restaurant and his very compact group of friends were unfamiliar with the luxurious Rising Moon. This was a new restaurant opened in the most expensive residential area of the city, upon a hill, surrounded by woodland and overlooking the wealthy part of town.

"Would you mind reading it for me?"

Amara opened her phone and began reading, as Kurama was focused on finishing his tasks.

'Good morning! Our CEO has heard of your ambitious research and had decided to invite you both to the Rising Moon restaurant for lunch today, between 12 PM and 3 PM. All expenses will be on us. We hope to see you soon!'

This sounded very much like a trap.

"Did you publish anything on our research?" Kurama asked.

"No, why?"

"Did you take part in any kind of contest or filled a form or gave your phone number away by any means?"

Amara shook her head again. "None of that."

"I don't think this is safe."

The girl shrugged. "Probably not, but what could happen in the most guarded part of town, in the middle of the day? Besides, we're going together, right? It will be fine. It's a free lunch!"

Her way of phrasing the issue did make him smile, but Kurama was still skeptical. The chances for something violent were small, but never absent.

"I suppose we could go just to see what this is all about..."

"Exactly! And eat for free," Amara said with a wide grin as she jumped to her feet. "Let's go!"

Sighing softly, Kurama gathered his things and replaced the lab coat with his usual one. They walked out of the university's building and campus, all the way to the richest side of town. The restaurant was really easy to find - it had an exclusive terrace on its roof that overlooked the entire city, which made it stand out from most other buildings.

"Hello and welcome," a waiter greeted them as soon as they reached the entrance. "You are expected, shall I lead you to the table?"

Amara looked at Kurama with a look of amusement and amazement on her face. "Yeah... sure. Thanks."

Following the waiter, they crossed two salons - the second more luxurious than the first - and eventually reached a partly closed area with a U-shaped couch circling the table. Seated there, dressed in the finest of human fashion, a powerful demon seemed well aware of their presence, despite its closen and slightly sunken eyelids. Two additional pairs of ears and several horns were the only indications to his species, as he rested his manicured hands on the table in a relaxed manner and stood up just halfway, enough to pretend he respected his guests.

"I'm glad you could make it. I'm sure you have really busy schedules."

Amara was confused. She couldn't sense any demonic energy coming from the stranger, yet he was not human. She looked at him and extended her hand, unsure, but reaching for a handshake. Instead, with incredible accuracy, the demon took her hand in his and kissed it, barely brushing his lips over her skin in a formal way. Surprised, she slipped her hand back and looked at Kurama.

His eyes were cold and his facial expression, rigid and inexpressive like that of a statue. What kind of trick was Yomi going to pull this time? They had agreed to stay out of each other's lives the last time they spoke, though Yomi had never been the kind to stay true to his word.

"What are you doing here, Yomi?"

The stranger stepped to his right, freeing up space for his guests around the table and gesturing for them to take it.

"Is this how you greet all of your friends? Please, I insist - there are Shadows outside who will make sure we have this conversation, so why not make it enjoyable for everyone and behave like civilized higher class individuals?"

Amara sat down first, while constantly moving her eyes from Yomi to Kurama and back again. What was going on? It was more and more obvious that Kurama was right to be suspicious about the invitation. Eventually, he sat down beside her.

"Since when do the Shadows become involved in your parlor tricks?"

Kurama's words were different from how Amara knew them, sharp and unforgiving.

"Since I found out that they are far more loyal than you," Yomi teased him. "Have you told her about yourself yet?"

"That is irrelevant to this conversation. Why have you summoned me? We both know it's more or less of an accident that we are both present here."

Yomi leaned back in his seat with a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "So she doesn't know... Well, you've always been slow to trust people - it's nothing new. I wanted to deliver a message before any kind of action begins, but I may be late by a few minutes."

"We might not have had this conversation before, but I'm aware of his nature, and yours," Amara interrupted their discussion. "You're aiming to use my presence as a means to threaten him into doing something. Do you mind going into details about this message of yours?"

Surprised and slightly amused, Yomi smiled. "I apologize if that offended you."

Although it was unexpected, Kurama couldn't let this fresh piece of information linger in his mind for too long. He decided to push it into his memory, just for the time being. Yomi was being a much more urgent problem.

"The Demon world is in anarchy, I'm not sure if you've heard... I'm going to bring back the monarchy in Gandara, expand it, and rule once again. Demons need authority in order to differ from aminals."

Kurama was ready to leave any second. "Then, I wish you good luck. Business in that world is none of my concerns."

"Oh, but I believe it is... You see, I want you to help develop my kingdom through science, and I've heard that you are quite good at it."

"What happens if I refuse?"

"Theoretically - because I know you won't - the human world might be turned into an exile place for the outlaws. That, of course, after all the life in it is consumed by disease."

"Explain," Kurama demanded.

"You see... An infection has already been released somewhere in this world. I didn't bother to remember the details - biology had never been my field of interest - though it is very adaptable and rather deadly. Ranna has the cure for it, but you may only receive it after you will have completed this job."

Amara glanced over at Kurama briefly. "Who is Ranna?"

"A powerful demon. I believe she also matches the human definition for power, the political and economical criteria."

Yomi crossed his legs and separated Amara from Kurama underneath the table.

"She used Yomi as a front man, a mask if you will. The demon world inhabitants are extremely misogynistic, and there are certain risks one assumes when taking a leadership position. By having Yomi on the throne of Gandara, Ranna could rule without dealing with these details," Kurama clarified. "I admit, I did hear rumors about it, but I refused to believe Yomi would let himself be used in such an obvious way... I may have been right to cut ties with him, after all."

"My, did I catch you in a bad mood today?" Yomi chuckled. "If you knew of the benefits, you wouldn't judge me the same way. Besides, I had my independence."

"Is that what you call being given the illusion of taking small and insignificant decisions?"

Frowning, Yomi leaned with his forearms against the table. "Kurama, you know that I like you enough to overlook your betrayal. Try not to force my hand. You're not exactly in a powerful position right now."


	6. Skeletons

As promised by the bait-message that Amara received earlier, they did enjoy a luxurious break that day with exquisite foods and expensive drinks. A young man was playing the piano in the salon they had crossed before reaching the division, so live jazz music helped soothe their nerves. The company was less than ideal though, as Yomi kept ignoring Amara for the most part, and trying to sting Kurama about being dishonest, a traitor, unreliable and pretty much every word in that spectrum. On the other hand, Kurama was indirectly hinting towards Yomi being easy to manipulate, simple-minded, and unfit to lead even a small team, leave alone a kingdom. A list of demands were made, and a deadline for making up his mind. Kurama had until the end of the week, the discussion taking place on a Friday.

As they left, Kurama's senses were on full alert. The Shadows which Yomi mentioned were extremely good at hiding their true nature, as there were no physical signs telling them apart from ordinary humans, and their energy was completely contained. That level of self-control could only be achieved through years of intense training, as he was well aware that the Shadows were generally S-class demons. There were probably weaker ones as well, but he assumed there had to be some kind of rule or trial deciding who was ready to go outside and who was still staying somewhere hidden, possibly training.

Amara followed quietly until they were out of the building and taking a few turns through the city. She noticed that they were going home.

"Let's go buy some wine. I think we should have... that talk, you know?" the girl suggested.

Although not his first choice, Kurama decided to tag along. He didn't want Amara walking around alone now that he knew there were Shadows mingling with the people. He followed her towards the University's campus, past a small liquor store, and eventually reached an Italian shop. It looked like a small family business, opened on the ground floor of a house.

Kurama looked around out of curiosity. It didn't take Amara long to fill her cart with herbs, cheese, dried vegetables, meats, and wine. After paying, Kurama offered to carry the bag, and she accepted. The rest of the walk home was rather silent and uncomfortable.

However, as soon as they found themselves inside, the silence disappeared.

"Who was that? You seemed to have known each other for ages," Amara pointed out as she was sorting and putting away the groceries. A bottle of fresh, fruity, half dry white wine remained on the counter.

Kurama sighed heavily. There were traces of Hiei's energy - faint, but still there. It was time to come clear, it seemed...

"Is that the only question you have for me?"

He watched as Amara opened the bottle with surprising dexterity and heard the pop when the cork finally left the bottle.

"That's my most recent. This Yomi guy seems like a ghost from your past, so I figured you'd start with the beginning if I asked about him."

Amara poured two glasses of wine and offered him one. She was heading towards the balcony and Kurama already knew her reason.

"...Correct, although that left me room to avoid all that by talking about Yomi instead of myself."

"Look - I don't blame you for not trusting me. We've both got our skeletons, and there's always going to be someone hiding more of them in their closet than others. That's fine, I didn't really need to know and I usually don't press people to talk, but I get the feeling things just got a hundred times more complicated today."

Leaning with his elbows against the railway, Kurama tasted the wine. He could sense a refreshing citrus flavor. "You may be right. How much do you know about the world, or should I say worlds?"

"I already told you I nearly died when I was six. I've never been the same after that, and the one I call a father was actually my master. He used to be an Exorcist, but he retired a few years ago. That's basically a Spirit Detective here in Asia or a Shaman in North America. We get many names, depending on the culture, but we all do the same thing. I can't really tap into my spiritual powers all that well on my own, but my master crafted me a weapon that I can use in battle without much effort. It feels very much like a partner or an extension of myself, and sometimes it can act on its own account."

Although he recognized this as a tactic, Kurama couldn't help but fall or the same old trick again. He knew that Amara was opening up first in an attempt to win his trust, and it always seemed to awaken his curiosity when people spoke of themselves. There was something unique and so powerful in hearing the life story of another, and more often than not, he was able to emphasize with them. This time though, he wasn't in a fight, and Amara was on the same side as him, so perhaps it was safe... Not that he could back away now, anyway.

"Were you also an Exorcist after your master retired?"

Amara sipped from her wine and nodded. "For a couple of years... That implies traveling a lot though, and it was getting in the way of my studies. Besides, it's not exactly a rewarding job... That's the real reason why I ran away. I wanted to be a normal human being for once, you know?" she laughed. "I wanted to study and work and live simply, not having to sleep on a train more often than in a bed, fight demons, and be called to check out hauntings and odd creature sightings and whatnot."

"This makes much more sense than running away from a controlling tutor," he said with a smile.

She shrugged. "That wasn't a complete lie, though. He's kind of authoritarian. If he were in charge of a state or something, he could compare to all the tyrants in history."

"If you were honest about him being a University professor, that means he's also quite intelligent, which would make a terrifying combination, indeed," Kurama chuckled lightly.

"Hey - I did not lie to you, okay? I just left out the demon-fighting part." Amara tried to be serious but ended up laughing. "Not the best conversation starter."

Kurama answered her in his mind but decided the joke would be too rude and could be mistaken for passive-aggressiveness.

"I suppose it's my turn now?" He smiled as Amara lit a cigarette. "I'm a little bit older than I look," he began.

"Are you a demon?" she asked with a smile.

The simplicity caught him off guard. Kurama looked at her for a moment, trying to see if she was expecting him to say yes, and debating the issue himself.

"I told you, my weapon sometimes acts on its own. It activates when it senses danger, usually demonic energy, and it's been acting that way sometimes at night or when your friend comes to visit. I also noticed that plants seem to thrive around you, and I'm guessing it has something to do with your energy. That's not a type of aura that humans possess - it's typical for nature spirits."

"...You are correct in your assumptions. Aren't you concerned about your own safety, now that you've noticed this?"

Amara shrugged. "You seem pretty peaceful, and you've had a few chances to kill me. I'm not that defenseless, but I figured I'm safe enough around you."

"I did notice your weapon and Hiei, my partner in battle, did warn me about it. He used to come here often, but he's very slow to trust people in general, so he's been outside looking in for a little while now."

"He hates me being here, then? Tell him I don't bite," she laughed.

Kurama smiled, sipping his wine and looking down at the city, "I guess I would qualify as a half-demon. I merged with this body soon after its conception, as a means to keep myself alive after... one of my plans had failed miserably, and to put it briefly, I had no way of saving my old body. Therefore, I left it behind, screening my own death, which gave me the time to recover some of my energy in a new body in a much safer world."

The girl breathed out the smoke in her lungs. "Sounds pretty awful. What did you do to get yourself into that?"

"It was a burglary gone wrong. I lost my partner there. He got injured and asked to be left behind, but I didn't make it much farther. My mind was elsewhere, I failed to notice the trap and I ran straight into it."

"What's your demon name? This whole thing sounds really familiar."

His eyes widened. "What do you mean by that? I doubt the legend has made it to this world."

"Answer me and I'll answer you," she shrugged with a smile and sipped some more wine.

"Youko Kurama. I'm not that proud of my past..." he began, but Amara interrupted him.

"I could've bet! Dear Lord, if my master knew about this..." she laughed. "Let me explain. He's probably your biggest fan, and he keeps saying there's no way for that legend to be true. Something about it not fitting your style or character, I never really listened, but the point is that he kept saying Youko must be alive somewhere, laying low."

"Well..." he chuckled. "I'll be honest - that was unexpected. I hope not many others had figured it out." Kurama tried to play it cool, but there was part of his mind already making the connection. His act was not as convincing as he had hoped... If a mere mortal could figure it out, then it was possible - no, it was likely that some demons had too. This was terrible news. He should have planned it better, but he had so little time to act, he didn't consider the details...

"I don't think anyone took him seriously," Amara chuckled. "People see him as kind of mad, even if they don't say it upfront."

"Any particular reason for that?"

"Plenty," Amara admitted, "but let's talk about you. What's the deal with Yomi? It seems to me like he hates your very existence."

"Probably," he sighed. "He used to be my right-hand-man about a thousand years ago. He showed great promise, but his flaws eventually convinced me that he was a liability. You must understand that I've lost men, gold, and strategic advantages because of him. He would sneak out from the camp, walk straight into an ambush or a trap - sometimes both, killing good, valuable men in the process and injuring others, and then he'd wait for me to notice their absence, mobilize the men left - usually the weak and already wounded from previous raids, and go rescue him and the others. Perhaps it wasn't my best decision, but from a strategic point of view, it was a profitable decision, no doubt..."

"Why are you trying to excuse yourself?" Amara asked.

"...I arranged his assassination."

There was a moment of silence before he heard Amara breathing out the smoke from her lungs. The realization had hit her like a brick. The one next to her was Youko, merged with a human, confessing he had planned the murder of his right-hand, who somehow survived and was probably out to get his revenge on him. How the hell did she wind up in the middle of such a mess between two debatably legendary demons?

"...Oh," was all she could say. Her eyes were on Kurama the entire time.

Avoiding her eyes and breathing in, he continued. "Clearly, it went wrong, for which I am grateful. However, I'm afraid I might have accidentally thrown him into a very dangerous kind of darkness. You see, he mentioned the Shadows, and it's very likely that the guards at the restaurant were, in fact, S-class demons."

She shook her head. "I call this a scam. Clearly they can't disguise that much energy - one of us would have noticed it slipping."

"They can. It's amazing how well they do, but they can. I've seen it once before. You see, I've had a... friend," Kurama sighed again. He took a mouthful of wine, keeping it in his mouth for a moment to feel the alcohol warming his tongue. "A bat demon named Kuronue. He was a little younger than me and by that, I mean a few seasons. We raided together for the most part, then began thinking of building our own kingdom right around the time when Raizen had proclaimed himself king, so we agreed to gather a band of thieves and Yomi earned his position as my second. During those first years of running the band, a woman contacted us two. She was more interested in me."

Amara raised an eyebrow. "Alright...?"

A small smirk spread over his face. "None of us had any intention of settling down and becoming loyal to one woman, keep that in mind. So we received a message and agreed to meet her, even though I could not find any information on who she was or what business she could have had with us. I was intrigued at first because it was usually me doing the choosing. Either way, Kuronue and I follow the instructions and go to meet her on our own. She had called us in the middle of the desert. We were greeted by A and S-class demons, blindfolded, and escorted deeper into the desert. She had an impressive layer underground on many levels and an amazing greenhouse with the entire ceiling made of glass. Many of her specimens were hybrids, which for some reason, did not ring any alarm bells at the time."

"What's so odd about hybrids?"

"I'll get to that. So, Kuronue and I meet this woman in her underground garden. She's a female and a raven - a very rare sight, as most die in childbirth very early in their lives. She's wearing a mask over the right side of her face. After the introductions, she claims that one of her ladies who tend to her daily is pregnant and supposedly, Kuronue is the father. That was highly unlikely as the girl claimed it was rape, and as barbaric as we were in battle, we never forced ourselves onto women. We had plenty to choose from."

Amara rolled her eyes. "So Kuronue didn't rape this servant girl?"

"No. He also had the ability to remember everything he did while drunk, and I mean really drunk - I always envied him for that. Well, parenthood talk aside, this raven woman offered to make me king of a kingdom as wide as the desert. She was rich, pretty, intelligent, and she had successfully trained a handful of demons to surprising levels of power and loyalty, and that finally rang an alarm for me. It sounded too good to be true. There had to be a price for all of this, something greater than settling down with her. I turned her down and she threw a fit, which only boosted my ego at the time, but I had made my decision. It was only the beginning, though. That would find out about our raids, track us down, and keep sending her people to bribe us. She sent us women, soldiers, medicine, even weapons. Some of our men left us with the promise of riches and a military career. Nobody ever heard of them again, it was as if they had never existed. Some had families, others had women looking for them, asking if they had died on a raid, but we always announced these deaths to those we knew."

"Do you think they were killed?" Amara asked.

"Maybe. We were completely in the dark until a few days after I thought I had Yomi killed. One of our men was returned to us in the early hours of the morning. We had fallen asleep collectively - something which had never happened before. He was still alive because of the high levels of adrenaline. I won't describe to you how he looked, but I will say he had seen torture to such a degree that a band of cruel, barbaric killers felt sick. His mind was gone and he was completely incoherent. He died while screaming at something that was not there and trying to fend off imaginary enemies. There's more, though..."

The girl looked absolutely disgusted. "Go on..."

"Are you sure?" Kurama asked.

She nodded and emptied her glass of wine.

"Are you familiar with the Blood Eagle execution of the Vikings?"

Once again, the girl nodded. "I read about it."

"The ribs on his back along with the muscle and part of his spine were gone. He was a medium for a wide variety of carnivorous plants, all hybrids of several generations to the point where even I had trouble identifying their lineage. Three of those were developing neurotoxins. The men I had clean up the camp and burn the body were paralyzed for days simply from having made contact with the said plants."

Amara's expression changed from disgust to pure horror. "Oh, God... Just from touch?! Paralyzed?"

"Four to seven days, yes. I was unable to heal them sooner."

"Do you think... Yomi...?"

Kurama looked away. "I've suspected it for a while. Now that I've seen him with the Shadows, I am almost certain."

Amara dropped the cigarette as it burned her. "Shit!"


	7. Memories

One bottle of wine later, Saturday was shining its milky light through the curtains. It was a cloudy morning and the air was thick with humidity. The two had moved into the living room. Kurama was trying to keep his mind busy while tending to his vertical jungle, while Amara laid between a few pots, looking up between their leaves.

"What are we gonna do? Yomi said we've got until the end of the week. I assume he meant tomorrow?"

Kurama sighed heavily. "It's typical of him to try to pressure me into joining his side. He's done it once before when he threatened my human mother. I will have to join him once more until I find a way out."

"We," Amara corrected him. "I'm not leaving you alone in this mess."

"This is not your problem to solve, Amara. I don't want you involved."

She sat up. "You do realize Yomi sent me that bait text out of the blue, right? I didn't even know he existed, so there's no way I gave him my number. I think I'm already involved."

Kurama sighed heavily as he fed the pitcher plants with insect larvae. "I suppose you're right..."

"It's gonna be fine. I mean... All we have to do is go over to the other side, meet up with your psycho admirer, and convince her not to bring the apocalypse over the Human world, right?" she laughed. "Okay, maybe that sounds bad, but we'll work it out."

"I have a feeling this is much more complicated. Things had never been simple with Ranna."

"Her name is Ranna?" the girl asked.

Kurama began spraying the air plants and those tropical specimens in his collection that loved humidity more than most. "Yes, although only a handful can call her by her name and I think you and I are not among them."

"She seems pretty obsessed with you. Are you sure you never gave her any _reasons_?"

Kurama sighed and let a bitter smile creep upon his face. "I used to be quite different before the merger. Perhaps I did give her some reasons, but none more than the usual. Kuronue and I led a very... _plentiful_ life, on all levels, and more often than not, we were being offered and we'd choose whatever we liked. That included women. Kuronue was more in tune with his emotions, so to speak. I was rather cold."

"You? No, I don't believe that." Amara laughed. "You're anything but cold."

"Right now, yes, but I wasn't always this way," Kurama kept the conversation going as he checked the plants for pests. "I've always been more inclined towards the exact sciences, towards numbers, diagrams, so planning and strategizing came naturally to me. That doesn't mean I never made mistakes - that's perfectly normal, but I think it's safe to say they were few."

The girl crossed her legs and watched him going from one pot to the other, turning leaves, tapping on their edges, and parting the stems.

"What about Kuronue?"

"He was... quite childish, in private. He had a passion for art, especially paintings, but he was in love with beauty in all of its shapes. He was kinder than most demons - he made me spare many and taught me the value of life. He's the reason behind my philosophy that as thieves, we should only steal, and avoid murder and rape at all costs."

"Is that why you don't have any paintings in your home?"

The question struck him like lightning. Kurama never felt like his home needed any art, but now that she pointed out this aspect and in this specific context, it really made him reconsider.

"...I don't know. I honestly never thought of this."

She stood up. The nocturnal flowers had closed for the day and the room was now receiving the first rays of sunlight. Amara turned off the artificial light.

"Do you want anything specific for breakfast?"

Kurama picked up a few pots. "That won't be necessary. I'm not hungry."

Blocking his way to the bathroom, she crossed her hands over her chest. "Okay, I get it, the plants need you. That's not an excuse to starve yourself. You're going to eat anyway, so do you want anything in particular?"

"...Not really. Anything is fine." He sighed and walked into the bathroom past her so he could soak the plants he was carrying.

"Alright," the girl mumbled before going into the kitchen. Getting an idea, she sneaked back into the living room, took his phone, and unlocked it using the pattern she had seen plenty of times to memorize. He was going to forgive her for this once he saw her reason.

The girl texted his mother, explaining who she was and that they were sharing an apartment until she could afford rent. Apparently, calling Shuichi a perfectionist sulking over a small bump on the way to success was accurate, as the woman didn't question it for a single second. She seemed glad that someone was interested in her son that much and gave Amara all the information she needed.

By the time Kurama began caring for the plants in the bedroom, a sweet scent began to fill the air. It was very familiar and unlikely at the same time. Shaking the thought as nothing but a coincidence, he kept inspecting the plants. He needed about one hour just to water them all, but since he didn't feel like having company at the moment, he moved much slower than usual. The memory of Kuronue was awake in his mind again and as much as he didn't like to admit this, it hurt. He picked up the first out of three types of fertilizer and measured it. This should get his mind off things. Too little, and his heavy feeders will start yellowing again. Too much, and the fertilizer burns might appear. There was a certain satisfaction in precise measuring and dosage.

A knock caught his attention all of a sudden. Someone was at the door on the balcony. How did he become so distracted that he did not sense their presence before? His mind was all over the place. Sighing, he went to open the door to his friend whom he hasn't seen in almost a year. Her pink eyes were once again serious and her joyful smile was gone. She stepped inside and skipped the hello.

"It's bad," Botan said in a worried voice. "It's really, really bad."

Kurama gestured towards the couch. "What happened?"

The girl nodded and sat down. "I know you have retired, but I didn't know who else to reach! Koenma doesn't want to reassemble the team, he says he can't force you to sign against your previous arrangement, but if what we've heard is true...!"

Good. At least he had something to keep him from thinking about Kuronue and the good old days, or from overthinking how Yomi could threaten his human family again.

"I believe I may have a clue, but tell me what you know. It could be unrelated."

With a deep breath, Botan began.

"Yesterday one of our agents sent on patrol didn't return. His area stretched along the edge of the Golden Desert, on the east where Raizen's territory was. He returned this morning and nobody can figure out what happened to him. He's terribly sick, incoherent, he's got all kinds of symptoms and it seems contagious, too! We had him in the hospital wing, but two nurses got a high fever and fell into a coma in just a few hours after the exposure. Surgical masks don't seem to stop this thing from spreading and it's moving fast."

All trace of emotion had evaporated from Kurama as he listened. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the Golden Desert Ranna's territory?"

"Do you think the Shadows are involved?! But why? They've been so quiet the past few centuries. Why now?"

"Botan, I need you to calm down... I have no proof of what I am saying, it's just my intuition. I'm guessing they have something to do with this. First, though, does the Spirit World hold any records on how the Three Kings came to possess their thrones?"

"What do the Three Kings have to do with this? The monarchies are gone, Yusuke made a new system."

"I realize this may be confidential, but I put all of my faith in you. Look into Yomi and tell me if he has any connection to Ranna or the Shadows immediately before his political career. A yes or no type of answer is enough, I wouldn't want you getting into trouble."

Botan went pale. "Those are classified files, Kurama. I can't just take them out!"

"You don't need to do that. Sneak in, read, memorize what I asked you, then leave everything as it was. It will be as if you've never been there."

She shook her head. "I can't! If anybody finds out...!"

"Who?" he asked in a calm, confident voice. "You and I are the only ones who need to know. You can forget it ever happened once you tell me this - a yes or a no, that's all I need to know."

Botan shifted her eyes to the side. "But why...? How is this relevant to anything?"

"I will tell you when you return with the information. Please be careful, act as if the plague is in full bloom. You can't ever be too cautious."

Nodding slowly, she noticed a shadow in the hallway by the open door od the living room. Botan's eyes immediately widened, which made Kurama check over his shoulder, ready for the worst.

"Sorry, I didn't know we had visitors." Amara walked through the door. "Are you staying for breakfast?"

Botan stood up slowly. Her mind was spinning with a million questions. "What are _you_ doing here? Aren't you supposed to be dead?"

Relaxed, Amara shrugged. "I'm supposed to be a lot of things. I'll never be what others suppose I should be, though. If you tell Koenma about it, I will go after whatever it is that you love, I will find it, and I will kill it." Then, she began laughing. "Actually, not really, but I'll make your existence hell."

"I can't just not tell Koenma about this! He has to know!"

"Okay, let me put it this way. If you mention anything about tonight to Koenma, you'll be in trouble for talking to us, Kurama will be in trouble for asking you for that information, and I'll be in trouble because he'll know where I am. This gives Ranna, or the Shadows, or Yomi, or whoever else might be involved sufficient time to bring the end for many beings - human, and from what you're saying, demon as well. Now, one way to avoid this entire thing is for you to shut up. I know I will and I don't think you doubt Kurama. Is Koenma going to find out eventually? Probably. Let's just try to stop the spreading of the Plague until then."

Listening closely, Kurama recognized what attracted him in the first place - thought patterns. She saw the whole picture and the consequences, which Botan was too worried to notice. He saw confidence backed up by reason, spoken in a perfectly calm way, and silently agreed when Botan turned to look at him.

"...This is so bad," the reaper whined. "Koenma is really going to kill me this time."

"You can trade my ass for yours. I'm quite slippery, I'll disappear again."

Huffing, Botan sat down again. "How can you joke about this?!"

"Well, nobody died yet..." Amara pointed out.

"Yet!" Botan repeated.

"Aside from the jokes, Amara is right. You have to do this silently, Botan. Nobody must know this disease even exists, not even Yusuke. I will talk to Hiei only if I'll need him. Don't talk to anybody, for now."

Although it stood against her morals, Botan accepted the deal. "Just... be careful."

"We will be," Kurama promised her without hesitation.

"I mean it!" She turned to Amara. "He's got a habit of nearly dying every single time."

Faced with a silent question from Amara, the red-head tried to wave it off. "We've all had our close calls during the years."

"Yes, especially you!" Botan insisted.

"That's a bit of an exaggeration. Kuwabara had numerous accidents-!"

"You're an upper A-class! Kuwabara is human! And I've surely seen you half-dead more often than him!"

"Alright, time out," Amara declared. "Nobody's dying on my watch, okay? Okay. Now, let's get moving. I don't know Yomi, but he gave us until tomorrow, yet this guard of yours is already infected with something. That alone tells me we're already out of time."

With a sigh, Botan stood up and walked back towards the balcony. "I'll see what I can find."

Once she left, Amara's smile had faded away. "...Are you going to fill me in on Yomi and Ranna?"

Kurama walked past her. "I already told you, he was my loose cannon. I suspect Ranna has him under her control. Knowing both, it's very likely she's the one who secretly ruled Gandara and that's why she wants it back. Gandara used to be the most developed of territories, and it also had many resources - some of which may be my responsibility. It would make sense for her to want it back. Also, Rizen is dead and Yusuke has no intention for the throne. Mukuro supposedly retired, from what Hiei told me... This leaves two massive territories free of interest."

"World domination? How am I not surprised? Your psycho admirer must be a very ambitious woman," Amara said as they walked into the kitchen.

Kurama's eyes widened. "...I was going to ask how you know Botan, but where did you get the inspiration for this breakfast?"

"A little birdie told me," the girl began to sing. "Come on now, it's going to get cold."

"Is there any reason why my phone is on the counter?"

"Maybe you forgot it there," the girl avoided his question. "Botan and I worked on a case in Russia three years ago. We're all assigned our own territories, but since this one involved both Europe and Asia..."

Kurama sat down. It smelled and looked exactly like the comforting dessert his mother would make whenever he felt sick or sulked over something. "This wouldn't happen to involve my mother, by any chance? Know that I usually find what I seek, be it the truth or anything else."

"Nice warning, but I don't think your mother had been possessed by a demon in Russia three years ago."

The thought made him uncomfortable. "Please stop twisting the topics together. I still want an answer from you before I seek it out."

"I didn't tell her _why_ you were sulking, if that makes you feel any better," she chuckled.

"I was not, and although I appreciate your concern, I believe you have overstepped several lines."

Amara sat down. "Oh, come on! A simple 'thank you' would have been enough. I didn't look at anything while I was on your phone, even though I could haven."

"There's nothing compromising on that device. What I'm worried about is my mother's interpretation of this."

"We're friends. I can't be the first female friend you make!"

"I'm a rather private person. Having a roommate is not exactly characteristic of me."

"Are you going to try it, or not? We can leave the explanation for later. She seems nice, I bet she'll understand."

Sighing, Kurama found himself defeated. "She is... perhaps too nice." The word didn't make her justice, but it was easier to repeat hers instead of finding something better fit. He finally took a teaspoon of the dessert, feeling the warmth that marked his childhood overtake him. "...Surprisingly close," he noted.


	8. Nightmare

Evening came around after a round of avoiding to explain to his mother what exactly was going on between him and Amara. The girl managed to get a few hours of sleep, but Kurama was restless. Even if he laid down with the curtains drawn, his eyes were wide open in the dark. He had to speak with Hiei... They had worked wonderfully together in the past, and the more he thought about the magnitude of what was going to happen, the more certain he became that he was going to need Hiei's help. His other contacts were all unfit. Perhaps Touya could be subtle enough, but he wasn't anywhere near as strong as Hiei, and to be perfectly honest, he didn't trust him to the same extent. Kurama didn't doubt his loyalty, but he did doubt his efficiency. Jin, Chu, Shishi, and Rinku were out of the question from the start - too loud, too easily excited by battle, too risky. Suzuka... perhaps?

Kurama sat up in bed. The Fruit of the Previous Life did help him survive Karasu. Then again, there had been a few years since that fight and he could now transform into his demonic form at will. Even so, that wasn't the only trick up Suzuka's sleeve. He helped Kuwabara enhance his signature Spirit Sword as well. He might still be into the special items and artifacts business. Kurama was willing to buy an item honestly if it could help him enhance his power. It was always a good idea to have something that your enemy was unaware existed, an element of surprise - even if only to be used as a last resort.

He also knew the places where Kuronue and he had hidden large portions of their stash. They were left well-guarded in highly inaccessible places and surrounded by rows between rows of deadly plants raised on his energy, but he hadn't checked up on them in centuries, in some cases. Gold and platinum, jewels, art pieces, weapons, maps, documents, and perhaps most importantly... seeds, preserved specimens, extracts, along with his notes of the trials and errors he had made, effects, characteristics, and basically everything needed to master each species. When he wasn't planning an attack, training his men, or having sex with some women, Youko was following his passion with such enthusiasm, that Kuronue called it an obsession on more than once occasion.

There were few things he left undocumented. Whenever he found some new plant species, he had to press it, draw it, document its origins, its forms, relatives, substances contained. He included how to cultivate it, with which species it would survive, which were a threat to the plant and which would be overpowered by its presence. He noted the defense mechanisms and the offenses if present. He even included details on the effects of his demonic energy on each of them, times of exposure and different environments, observations from battle.

What worried him most now was that he had included his hybrids and the research he had conducted in creating new specimens, far superior to those created by nature, selectively bred to accentuate certain traits - be it for medical uses, poisonous extracts, or viciousness. If those notes were to fall into the wrong hands...

The worry brought out his true form, and as much as he tried to contain his energy, he could hear the plants feeding off of it and pushing out new growth unnaturally fast. The sound of roots slithering through the soil and of leaves unfurling was satisfying, but he also heard something else. It was metallic and sharp, coming from the room he had offered Amara. Was it right to involve a mere human in all of this? Yusuke proved himself a halfling, which did explain a few lucky strikes, but this girl was certainly human. He could feel it in her scent, there was nothing demonic about her, nothing otherworldly.

As her weapon activated, the girl woke up in full alert. The sun hadn't set completely, but at first, Amara thought it was already dawn. The clock on the wall showed it was half-past eight, although it was too dark for it to be the AM. Calming herself, she deactivated her weapon, and the two pins returned to their usual size. Amara caught up her hair and planned to smoke a cigarette before going back to bed.

From the doorway, she could see him sitting with his legs crossed on the extended sofa, shirtless and covered by the sheets to his waist. He was leaning with his elbows on his knees, staring at the vertical jungle he had set up on the wall, his silver hair glimmering in the low, golden light of the sunset that still found a place to dodge the curtains. That would have been a king-sized bed, but she wasn't sure Youko would be able to lay down completely in it without his legs hanging over the edge. There wasn't one scar on his body - none that she could see, at least.

Feeling her presence, Youko turned to look at the Exorcist. A Spirit Detective, a Shaman, a spiritually-aware mortal whose job was to hunt down and kill demons finding their way into the Human world... So frail and insignificant in comparison to him, or any other demon of his class.

He saw the marks of the sheets still printed on her arm and side. Amara seemed fond of the color purple. Most of her closet was a variation of purples and violets, with occasional contrasts, and her tank top and shorts were no exception. They were a light shade of purple, a pastel, as Kuronue would call it, with three strands of lavender embodied on the front. He saw the scar tissue covering the entirety of her legs. There were a few holes that hadn't yet filled on her right calf, and they probably never will... His apartment had always seemed small when he was in this form, but Amara seemed to fit right in.

After a moment, he saw her cheeks catching color and he smiled weakly. The low light was no impediment for his demon eyes.

"...I thought you'd be asleep," she mumbled.

Youko shifted, leaning on his hands and pulling himself closer to the backrest of the extended sofa. He leaned against its pillows.

"Exactly what you should be doing."

She crossed her arms over her chest and sighed, turning her eyes away. "My weapon activated again and woke me up. You're usually asleep when you transform."

"Sorry," he said without any meaning. "Somebody has to make a plan."

"Did you come up with anything yet?" She returned into her room briefly to grab her cigarettes and lighter.

"I always do," Youko answered her once he saw her frame again. He watched her walking past him, avoiding him with her eyes, opening the balcony door and stepping outside. "Not the healthiest habit - I assume you know."

"It calms me down, though... It's not like I'm going to live that long, anyway," Amara said as she leaned against the wall and lit up a cigarette. She sneaked a peak towards the demon. The light was pouring into the dark living room through the open door now, highlighting his sculpted body.

Throwing the sheet off, Youko stood up and stretched just a little bit. Amara noticed that the boxers were a little tight - clearly, his two forms didn't match sizes. Looking away, she took another drag and watched as darkness fell over the city and the lights turned on below them, in the street.

Youko walked towards her lazily, but his steps carried him across the room almost instantly. He noticed with pleasure that the tiles on his balcony were still warm from the afternoon sun - one of the perks of having his flat facing the South. He then took the pack from the window sill and helped himself, lighting a cigarette as well.

Amara's eyes widened in surprise and she couldn't help but look up at him. "I thought you didn't smoke."

"Shuichi and I may share many things... Our preferences - not always. I was curious about your human cigarettes."

Amused, the girl tilted her head. "How is it, then?"

"Bland... but I suppose most humans wouldn't enjoy anything stronger." He smiled in amusement. His lungs were consuming the cigarette faster than Amara.

"Why am I not surprised...? Everything has to be hardcore with you, demons."

As silence filled the air and she felt his eyes on her again, Amara tried to open another subject for conversation.

"Did you turn her down, or did you sleep with her?"

"Ranna is a very attractive woman... but she's crazy, so no, I haven't slept with her."

Amara began laughing. "Excuse me?!"

"She's the one who chased me, which wouldn't be out of the ordinary... if she hadn't sent out an army of Shadows to hunt down and kill my men. She tried to find our stashes, and when she failed, she began capturing my men and torturing them for information. What Botan described reminded me of how she would return my men to me - brutally tortured, incoherent, and often infected with various contagious diseases for which even I had a difficult time creating a cure. Now, normally, I welcome a challenge, but it had gotten to the point where her very existence was slowing me down."

The girl puffed out some smoke. "You're bragging less in your human form, but I see your point."

"Is it really bragging if it's true?" he smirked.

"I don't know. It still sounds the same," she smiled. "What kind of demon is she?"

"A Raven. I had fought one a few years ago, in the Dark Tournament, and I was barely able to maintain my human form alive." Youko put out his already consumed cigarette and threw it away.

She nodded with a hum as she exhaled more smoke. "What kind of powers does she have?"

"I haven't seen Ranna fighting. Her Shadows do everything for her. If I were to guess though, I would expect her to possess the ability to create bombs out of her energy, much like the one I fought before."

"That ability with her description doesn't seem like the most joyful combination. Ravens are rare, too..."

"There's a good reason for that. Ravens devour their mother at birth. If they are unable to do that, the mother kills and consumes them. This way, only the strong survive, while the weaklings are being plucked like weeds."

Amara cringed. "Ew." The thought of the newborn devouring its mother was sickening, but the reversed image made her even more grossed out. "...Ew. That's disgusting."

"Nature can be cruel, at times," Youko noted. "You should be more worried about Shin if she still has him."

"Who's that?" Amara hadn't hoped for so much information, but if Youko felt like talking, why not? Something told her this was her only chance to find out more about their new enemy.

"Shin is the closest one of the Shadows to Ranna. He's a Scorpion demon of remarkable strength and power. A century ago when I met him, he was able to defeat twelve of my men on his own and had introduced himself as Supreme General of the Shadows. He was claiming to had mastered every known weapon and fighting style, from the traditional to the more unconventional, and was wearing cuffs around his wrists and ankles to restrain his demonic power. He was under orders to escort me and Kuronue to Ranna, without killing anyone in the process, but that didn't mean he hadn't caused any damage."

Amara felt her throat tightening and a cold chill down her spine. She knew well enough that the body could endure a tremendous amount of _damage_ without dying.

"...Alright, sounds friendly enough."

Youko let out a chuckle. "You're afraid. That's what you should be. The Shadows are enough to send the vast majority of demons into hiding. Stripping them of their emotions, morals, and free will is part of the initialization. They are being trained in extreme conditions restlessly, and only allowed to go outside once they have reached a certain level."

"I've heard of the first two, but free will? What, does she have them in some form of mind control?"

The demon went back inside and Amara gasped as her cigarette burned her. She dropped it, but picked it up carefully, put it out, and threw it away.

"I think she breaks their spirit. I only know the overall characteristics, as Ranna offered me an army of Shadows if I were to rule her kingdom. Of course, she only needed a male puppet for the public, as demons are usually misogynistic."

In awe, Amara followed him. "Wait a second. You're telling me she needs a frontman, but she's able to control an army of killing machines?"

"Precisely. The masses are not easy to control, child." Youko laid on his side diagonally on the bed, resting his head on his palm. "Slaughtering them leaves no one left to control, which makes the entire idea of becoming a ruler pointless. Are you just going to stand in the doorway?"

Brought back to reality, Amara closed the balcony door behind her, allowing the room to sink into darkness even more than before. She didn't feel very comfortable sitting next to Youko, but at the same time, it was rather tempting.

"I appreciate the information, but why are you telling me this now?"

He waited for her to come closer. "I think you should know before you make up your mind permanently. Once we do cross into the Desert, there will be no turning back."

Amara sat on the outer corner of the bed that was still free and crossed her arms. "I already told you I'm going."

"Aren't you going to give me a speech about how you won't let me go there alone?"

He smirked. Amara was sure of it, she could hear it in his voice. "...I explained myself once."

Youko could feel her nervousness. He could hear her heart beating faster.

"You're very concerned about my other form."

"Well, I did receive a great favor by staying here."

"I could help you with the scars. Your wounds didn't heal well enough. It's remarkable you still have your legs, judging by the signs of the attack."

She took a moment to consider the idea. "Why would you help me?"

"Haven't you questioned me enough?"

Thornless, fibrous vines slithered from underneath the extended sofa and up the girl's legs and back. Before she could do anything, a vine picked up her hairpins from above and placed them against the ceiling, wrapping her deactivated weapon into a cocoon of vegetation. Instinct told her to struggle, but she was unable to fight back without her weapon. As the sun had already set, but the curtains were still in place, Amara couldn't even see in front of her.

A pair of large hands picked her up like a doll and laid her down. The vines were still wrapped around her lower body, which did give her an odd sense of security, but then her tank top was being pulled up. Both the vines and his palms filled the space between her body and the fabric as he pushed up her arms and led her top over her head.

* * *

_**Author's note: **_

_Cut scene available at Fanfiction __ **s/13506485/1/Research-Cut-Scenes**  
Before you proceed, remember the cut scenes are rated M for various reasons, including mostly lemons, or violent, gory, abusive scenarios that could trigger some people. They are also shorter by roughly 1000 words than the normal Research chapters. They are part of Research, but not necessary for the plot development, as events will be briefly mentioned here in a T-rating-friendly manner._

_Please favorite, follow, and review. I'd love to hear your opinion on the development and on the characters._

_Fun fact: I am also writing a story called Reflection for the True Blood fandom and I mistakenly posted part of a Research chapter there while meaning to update. Accidents happen, I suppose. The funniest thing? Not only was it wrong - it wasn't even a completed chapter._

_Fun note: it's a chapter with Youko in his underwear. Did anyone imagine this would NOT include a cut scene? LOL_


	9. Fenestrations

A muffled noise and a faint vibration were trying to fight their way through the layers of sheets and pillows for several minutes, but no one could hear them. Soon, a loud knocking on the door, followed by the bell being rang insistently... Still terribly tired and very much confused, Kurama thought it was still the middle of the night, so the urgency of whoever was trying to reach him didn't register. Trying to sit up, he felt Amara over him. Why was it so dark in here? His plants couldn't possibly agree to this setting.

_"Shuichi?! Are you in there? It's Botan, please open the door! Hello?" _

That was even weirder. Why would Botan try to bring down his front door? He carefully replaced his body with a pillow so that hopefully, Amara could still sleep, and then stood up. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Kurama pulled the curtains, expecting to see electric lights breaking the night. The bright, silver light of a cloudy day blinded him for a moment.

_"Shuichi, I know you're inside! Did anything happen?"_

He went to open the door, but then realized he was anything but decent. "Just a moment, Botan," he managed as he looked around the living room. That... was going to be hard to fix in a moment, and even harder to explain. There was vegetation absolutely everywhere, underwear in plain sight, and claw marks on the sofa, as well as Youko's demonic energy still filling the room. Very subtle, indeed.

Kurama decided he will deal with that later. He put on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt quickly, closed the living room door, then went to let Botan inside. The Reaper was relieved to see the door finally opening, although she didn't expect the sight.

"Thank goodness you're alright, I was getting worried, you know? Oh... Oh, my! You look awful!"

The first thing that ran through his mind was that perhaps he had some form of a bruise or cut or mark on his face, but Botan began laughing, which meant it couldn't possibly be that severe.

"I'm sorry, I haven't got the time to make myself very presentable yet."

She closed the apartment door behind her and began to giggle. "Do you have any news for me, Kurama?"

"Not that I'm aware. Mind filling me in?"

"Oh, you know... You took your shirt backward, your hair is an absolute mess, and you've got circles under your eyes. I don't think I've seen you this way before - not even after the Dark Tournament!"

Kurama sighed, took his arms out of the sleeves, and turned his shirt around, then ran a hand through his hair. "I believe that's an exaggeration. Are you going to join me for coffee?" He invited Botan into the kitchen. "Thank you for calling me by my human name. I wouldn't want the neighbors to suspect anything..."

Botan kept giggling as she followed him. "Yes, well, I think we all remember your classmates' reaction when Kuwabara called you Kurama. What happened, though? I didn't know you to be an oversleeper."

"What time is it?" he asked as he began boiling the water for coffee. "You still haven't answered me about the coffee."

"Oh, I already had one, but thank you very much! It's just past 1 PM."

His eyes widened in surprise. "Really...?"

"Aham! And I think I've called you twenty times! That's when I decided I had to come over. I was glad to know your energy was still here, but you got me thinking of the worst things. You do have a habit of getting pretty close to dying."

Kurama sighed as he made his coffee. "What is going to happen has been keeping me up until I must have passed out." He then began to hear movement in the living room, as Amara woke up.

She was having a hard time sitting down or laying on her back. Her legs didn't seem very supportive either, feeling rather numb and unresponsive, but when she looked down, all sleep has washed off. The reality was too alike to a dream... She sat in bed and looked at her legs. Her skin was normal... It was smooth and plump, shining with a healthy glow, without any awkward holes or bumps, without stretches left by the bandages ripping off bits of the tissue. What she first thought to be numbness was simply the absence of the discomfort she had been feeling day and night for the past decade.

Amara couldn't help herself as her vision blurred and tears rolled down her face. She covered her mouth as she began to sob. She ran her other hand over one leg, over her thigh and knee, squeezing the flesh between her fingers. This was real, it wasn't an illusion or a leftover fantasy from some dream of hers. She was completely awake and aware of her surroundings. She could feel her hand on her legs, meaning that what she saw really was hers.

Losing it completely, she cried and laughed at the same time. This was beyond anything she could have imagined. Despite visiting many professionals, no doctor ever gave her any chance of regaining a somewhat normal aspect of her legs. They were honestly surprised she could still use them and discouraged her when she asked if a skin transplant could be of any use. Training hurt, and there were several points where she had lost feeling, yet all of that was gone now. She was normal. This was the first time she got to see her legs as an adult, healthy skin covering flesh without gaps. She couldn't take her eyes off.

Botan noticed that Kurama was listening to something other than the sound of her voice.

"Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yes, I'm feeling well, perhaps not entirely awake yet." Kurama poured himself a cup of coffee. "Excuse me, can you wait here for a minute?"

Not waiting for an answer, he went into the living room, closing the doors behind him and leaving Botan in awe. Worry took over him as he saw Amara sitting in bed, holding her knees to her chest and crying with the brightest smile on her face. It was still too soon after waking up so suddenly for him to comprehend what could have been the cause of such a scene.

"Are you hurt? What's happening?"

Trying and failing to articulate, Amara shook her head. She stood up, amazed not to feel the usual stings and burns, and ran into his arms so fast, Kurama had to take a step back. Still confused, he wrapped the girl in his arms, and that's when he noticed it for the first time. While looking over her shoulder, he saw her old wounds finally healed, and so very beautiful! ...Did _he_ do that? He had no idea how, although he had been thinking about the possibility often.

The only ones who knew about this were Hiei - who clearly didn't do it - and his other self, Youko. Well, that explained a lot...

Once she had found her voice, Amara managed to utter a shaky "Thank you," still struggling to even her breathing.

Kurama saw the purest expression of happiness and gratitude in her eyes. He kissed her forehead and held her close. "I believe you're going to have to thank Youko for this. We both will."

She nodded. "I will. I just never hoped this... I mean...!"

"I know," he reassured her. "Are you feeling any different?"

"Better than ever!"

"I'm glad. Botan is here though, I think you should get dressed."

Amara nodded again and wiped her eyes. "Let's make this space livable," she laughed as she took a step back from Kurama. The girl put her lavender pajama on in no time, then began gathering the sheets and nighttime pillows from the bed. She shoved them in their space below the sofa and folded it back into its usual form.

In the meantime, Kurama commanded the plants to return into their pots and picked up an empty bottle of wine from a corner. He didn't remember drinking that one, but there was no time for questions - he had to hide it somewhere. He could hear Botan walking into the hallway. He took a fluffy blanket from a storage stool and threw it over the sofa to cover the torn fabric while concealing the wine bottle in the space left empty.

When Botan opened the door to the living room, she saw everything neatly arranged as always. "Oh, Hey, Amara!"

The girl rubbed her eyes. "'Morning..."

Kurama noticed a shingling Monstera on the ceiling, especially overgrown, covering something. He had a feeling he shouldn't touch that with Botan watching, although he had no idea what could it be hiding.

"Sorry I left you before, I was just on my way to invite you here," he apologized. Hopefully, this will work...

"Oh, don't worry - we're friends, right? We're practically family, aside from the blood ties and all," Botan laughed. "Nice blanket! Where did you get that?"

_'Please don't pick it up!'_ Kurama scratched the back of his head. "I think it was a gift from someone, I'm not sure. I haven't really used it much."

"I found it while making the bed and thought it'd look cool on the sofa," Amara jumped in. "So, did you find anything on Yomi?"

Botan snapped her fingers. "Bingo! I knew I was forgetting something! Yes, so - there are no explicit ties between him and the Shadows, and Ranna is never mentioned, but I did find a report about the time a group of demons revolted and tried to overthrow him. It says that among the guards there were strangely skilled demons who showed no fear or hesitation in battle and had matching forehead tattoos."

"That's enough to confirm my suspicion," Kurama said. He watched in horror as pink eyes noticed the ceiling and were staring again. Anticipating the question, he decided to give her some answers before she could ask. "That's a shingling plant. I think some of my energy escaped, but I'll need to be careful to remove it. This plant is full of roots on the underside and right now, I can only hope that my ceiling isn't destroyed."

"...And here I was thinking I've seen every plant in your collection."

Amara looked up. That... wasn't good. She could feel her weapon trapped there. Was this Youko's humor? She couldn't believe he would simply forget to give her the weapon back - he was far too meticulous for that.

Botan sat in an armchair. "Are you going to tell me what's going on now? And did you two...?" She moved her index between Amara and Kurama several times. "You know..."

Sensing that Kurama was panicking, Amara threw herself in her usual seat on the sofa. "I guess we must have passed out together at some point," she laughed. "We stayed up all night talking about stuff, and then I smoked a few, and Youko tried to convince me to stay behind because it's dangerous and whatnot, and then we had some wine. I don't remember much after that, so I will assume I fell asleep."

Kurama caught on quickly. "Ah, right - that's probably why this Monstera grew so much. It is my newest addition, I suppose it's still not used to my energy..." In fact, he didn't have that plant yesterday.

Looking a bit disappointed, Botan leaned with her head in her palm. "Wait, that's a Monstera? I thought they had holes in them?"

"Fenestrations? Yeah, not all of them," Amara laughed.

"Actually..." Kurama began to laugh. "This one is still very juvenile. When it will be mature enough, it will develop some fenestration. There are three degrees for this one, in particular - it's called a Monstera Dubia. I believe this is either the middle or low fenestration form, definitely not the high one though."

The girls looked at each other. Well, if Kurama said so, it had to be true.

"I don't think I've ever seen a mature Dubia then," Amara said in her defense.

"It won't like being forced, so let's just wait for a few years - assuming you won't leave in this time."

Botan gasped a little, as she was able to notice a spark in Kurama's green eyes and a subtle smile.

"Not if I can help it," Amara replied, returning the smile. She gathered her legs beside her and wrapped an arm around one of her knees. "I've never caught roots anywhere, but you know..."

"Bingo! I knew there had to be something between you!" Botan stood up in excitement, then took Amara's hands in hers. "I'm so very glad to see someone so close to our Kurama - Yusuke almost had everyone convinced he won't settle with any girl because he might be into Hiei!"

The smile faded from Kurama's face as he heard the girls laugh.

"Yusuke and I have been over this subject more times than necessary..."

"Before you make any plans, I'm not entirely sure how this whole thing with staying in one place for long works and it sure would be lovely if Koenma let me retire this time," Amara pleaded. If Botan wanted to help, there was one thing she could do for her... them... well.

Botan's eyes widened. "Um, I'm not sure that's an option now..."

"We'll save the world this time, but you know, after that..."

Kurama took the seat that Botan had previously occupied. "I think we owe you an explanation. Did Koenma find out about what I asked you to find?"

"He did..." the reaper admitted, "And he wants to know what's going on."

"I was expecting this. You can set up the connection on my laptop, I'll be right back."

Botan nodded. "Um, where is it?"

As Kurama went to bring his coffee, Amara took his laptop and entered the password she saw him using a few times. Botan could then call Koenma with video - there was no need for special encryption this time. There was no risk of ordinary humans catching a glimpse of this call.

"He even told you the password?" Botan asked in awe.

"Nope," Amara laughed. "I'll go smoke one real fast."

"Then how did you guess it?"

"That's a secret," the girl winked and went on the balcony to light up a cigarette.

_'How did Amara guess what?__'_ Koenma's voice asked through the speakers. He was still trying to figure out how to turn on his webcam. _'I hope she doesn't think I can't see her. Glass is transparent. Now, how does this work?'_

The young ruler's face appeared on the screen in a moment. He sat back down into his chair then. _'Ah, perfect!'_

Botan began to laugh a bit nervous. "Right! So, Kurama said he will finally reveal his theory, and Amara wants to know if she can retire after this last mission."

_'She's a skilled fighter and a great asset to us. I don't think that's possible.'_

Kurama came with the coffee mug in hand and sat next to Botan. "I'm afraid we have a greater problem on our hands these days. I would also like to retire once this is over."

_'Well? Come on, tell me already - the suspense is killing me!' _

"Here goes..." Kurama summed up the past few days, starting with Yomi's visit, the presence of the Shadows, and the threat to end humanity. He continued with his suspicions but left out the part where Ranna was obsessing over him and the details surrounding his pursuers when he had escaped into the Human world.

_'...This is even worse than I imagined,'_ Koenma whined. _'We'll have to reassemble the team immediately!'_

"The only way I see it, Yusuke would have to take his throne, which he clearly stated he doesn't want. Also, Mukuro would have to return to her monarchy days, but according to Hiei, she's no longer interested. This leaves two territories free of interest, Yomi willing to be the frontman, and the Shadows eager to take over the world. Kuwabara wouldn't be able to do much in this mission. I'll send word for Yusuke, but I doubt he will be interested. As for Hiei... I might be able to convince him."

The toddler nodded. _'Do you think you four could take on the Shadows? All of them?'_

"We have to try... Koenma, do you happen to know where Suzuka is, or any way to reach him?"

Koenma scratched his head through his hat. _'Suzuka...? The one with the artifacts...?'_

"Precisely. Is he still in business?"

_'I haven't heard from him lately... I think he settled down, so we can only assume he's no longer fighting.'_

"I'm interested in his items. He recommended himself as a collector and seemed to possess a real talent in modifying each item to fit its new possessor. I believe something like this could offer us an advantage."

_'Very well, then... I'll try to track him down.'_

Putting out the cigarette, Amara came back inside, going behind the sofa and leaning with her elbows between Kurama and Botan. "Just please do a better job than when you tried to track me down. If you find Suzuka in a year, it's going to be a bit late."

_'You still need to explain your absence, young lady!'_

"Easy - I took a sip of normality and got drunk. My bad. Now can we move on? I hope this is the last time we'll have to work for you."

_'You two are extremely valuable to me-!'_

"How come Yusuke can retire but not us?"

_'He may have a child on the way! I wasn't going to tell you this because it's supposed to be him giving you the news, but since you won't let me speak otherwise, here! That's why! Now go there and try to stop the spread of this disease before everybody dies! I'm sure Botan told you about our agent - he just died an hour ago, along with everyone else who came in contact with him. We have incinerated the bodies right away and we've placed everyone who carried out this task into quarantine. If demons and ogres could only fight this disease for a day, imagine what ordinary humans will suffer! It's going to be a disaster, worse than the Plague outbursts!'_

* * *

_**Author's notes:**_

_I know Hiei and Kurama are possibly the favorite ship of this fandom, but for the sake of the story... Anyway, they've been mentioned. _

_Things are about to escalate really soon! Follow, favorite, share it with others, and review! I'd love to hear from you._


	10. White Flowers

After the talk with Koenma, Kurama left Botan with a written manual about watering, grooming, and feeding each and every single plant in his apartment. He could feel the tension of the inevitable building up, as well as the weight of their responsibility - his responsibility, actually. Youko should have dealt with Ranna a long time ago, when she was weaker; when he was in control all the time and had a tremendous amount of energy. He should have... but he did not.

He packed himself a few clothes, a safe amount of money, his laptop containing the data of his research on plant communication, and a few seeds he thought would serve him well. Amara did the same, along with a good selection of cosmetics, and a first aid kit. Something about Botan asking her to watch out for Kurama hurting himself had stuck with her. She was rather confident, but not because she had superhuman resistance or endurance, but rather because she was incredibly fast and agile, and her style was to avoid most of the enemy's attacks - preferably all of them.

The two looked at each other in silence. This was it. They had to meet Yomi at the restaurant, and from there, he was going to lead them into the Demon World through a private portal opened by the Shadows and closed right after their passing. It would take them into the heart of the Golden Desert, in extreme heat. A group of Shadows was going to greet them and blindfold them both.

Shock woke Hiei from his slumber as he heard a faint calling from far away. Yet, he knew the voice... He knew it so well, that his Jagan helped him strengthen the telepathic connection. Reluctantly, he made his way to the border of the Golden Desert. He had been spending quite some time in Mukuro's former kingdom. It was a mostly uninhabited wilderness, quiet and serene. However, as he approached the border, the vegetation changed and became scarce, thin, thorny - better adapted to higher temperatures and a constant deficiency of water and nutrients. So... Kurama accepted it.

"We'll go down a few stairs now - watch your step," Yomi warned the guests. He went ahead, followed by Amara and then Kurama, who wanted to place himself between the girl and the four Shadows escorting them.

Amara was used to fighting in the dark, but not without her weapon. She activated it and held the two pins side by side as one, using it as a cane. Her spirit energy was spreading in a small net of threads around her feet, giving her a hint of her surroundings. The demons noticed it and Yomi heard the pulsing of her energy, frail and pitched, almost... metallic, but so alike to a spider web fluttering in the wind.

"For how long are we supposed to be blindfolded?" Kurama wasn't very happy to be forced to trust Yomi. Their history didn't exactly help their case either.

"I believe it would be enough, though it makes me wonder, Kurama, are you uncomfortable?"

Well aware of where his former ally was taking this conversation, Kurama decided to dodge the subject. "This isn't a very encouraging protocol. I believed you said we would be guests here, am I correct?"

"Everyone arrives here blind, some of us permanently," the demon said as he made a sign for the Shadows to remove the blindfolds. "You can withdraw your weapon. It will be taken as a threat, which is far from a smart choice for a frail little girl like you."

Amara was half a breath away from talking back when she felt Kurama's hand on her. He wrapped an arm around her waist loosely.

"We don't feel welcome yet, that's all," Kurama stressed the situation while Amara deactivated her weapon. She kept it in her jean pocket, close to her hand, and ready to use if needed.

"Of course - please, follow me." He walked them through a maze of tunnels. After a few turns, river stone was replaced by white, pink, and black marble, with golden fittings, creating intricate patterns on the floor. The walls were being painted with incredible detail, depicting myths from all three worlds and all cultures. The scenes were framed by precious stone mosaic borders and sculpted marble adornments. Plants with grow lights were thriving on gold totems or hanging from baskets.

Flowering vines, pitchers, sundew, tropical giants, epiphytes, palms, fruit trees, air plants, cacti in full bloom, parasites. Among them all, the two noticed something - Ranna had a thing for white flowers with unusual colorations. Golden spots, red blush effects, violet trims, yellow hues, blue undersides. White seemed to be the dominant color, omnipresent in the perfectly matching arrangements - there had to be an even number of each, perfectly placed to outline the symmetry of the palace.

At last, they reached a greenhouse with a tall glass ceiling supported by a golden structure, hosting a real tropical jungle with plants layered on several levels. Every here and there, the pathways paved in marble turned into bridges over crystal clear water revealing rare aquatic species, fish, amphibians, and insects. It was a completely enclosed ecosystem, with small animals thriving, birds flying overhead, and a surprising selection of pollinators.

There were doors every here and there, on the sides of the jungle. A double glass door led the three into a white and gold room as grandiose as the rest of the palace. They finally saw Ranna laying on a white setee, dressed in partly transparent and vaporous layers of yellow and white, with gold embroidery and accessories, opal, and diamonds. Three girls were tending to her black hair which looked too long to carry, even with the complicated, traditional updo that she had.

"Welcome," she spoke softly and held out one hand.

Yomi bowed his head in obedience and went to kneel by her side, kissing one of her rings before the woman withdrew her hand without throwing her servant as much as a glance. Her dark eyes were on Kurama the entire time.

Amara needed one look to make up her mind - she didn't like this woman. The amount of hair and gold on her head was absolutely ridiculous. Her black eyes looked too deep for comfort, while the red eye shadow gave them an unsettling glow. Her skin was as perfect as porcelain and looked equally as cold. Her kimono was loose enough to fall slightly off her shoulders, which was obviously an invitation. The girl felt the woman's gaze on her - she could practically see the way she was judging her. Amara wasn't the one to worry over fashion, but she couldn't help but feel like a lump of coal in front of jewelry. She looked at Kurama for a moment.

Her beauty was undeniable. Kurama sighed as he felt Youko's energy threatening to take over. He remembered his decision from long ago and kept repeating to himself everything that Ranna had done over the years - his men who fell in the most gruesome ways, the fake leads and traps, the hunt... However, his moment of reflection was interrupted by her soft voice speaking again.

"I have a gift for you... Although I confess, when I was told you've chosen a beautiful, weak human body to withdraw, I didn't expect you to appear this... frail. I see you've brought a woman, too. What is she to you?"

Kurama tried to avoid it, but he couldn't fight it for long. Youko surfaced with a small grin. "That's very observant of you. Her existence doesn't concern you."

It was impossible for Amara to keep her weapon deactivated in the presence of Ranna, Yomi, and now Youko as well, so she decided to seal it - just to give Yomi credit for that warning from earlier. She slipped the seal into the same pocket, well aware it will attach itself in place, and took out her cigarettes and lighter.

"Right. Well, since I'm so unimportant, you'll find me outside."

Youko ignored her. Shuichi will more than willingly fix that later and he knew it. Ranna was a whole different story - one which he had to handle before three worlds would succumb to her mysterious disease.

"You allow your slave to talk back? How very generous of you." Ranna remained seated and as much as it pained him, Yomi remained on one knee.

Once again, Youko thought that conversation to be useless, so he avoided it. "Your palace must have doubled in size, from what I see."

"Tripled, and I'd be more than happy to give you the tour. Tell me, what do you desire?"

Answering in his mind was one thing, but to voice that answer while in a position where the fate of the universe depended on him may not be very wise.

"I have little interest in whatever gifts you want to offer me this time, including your body."

"Oh, but I believe otherwise." Ranna stood up gracefully as always. She moved with weightless elegance, and her attire made her look like an immaterial being, a marriage of the desert. "There's something that I've always found fascinating about your men. They are extremely loyal..." she moved past Yomi, still kneeling by her setee, waiting for permission to stand, "Most of them, that is... Yet, I suppose some loyalties can't be judged. You did throw him into the trash."

Youko looked at Yomi. He found it amusing how he was completely obedient to this woman, although he had been bragging about becoming the king that Youko never did become. If that's the kind of throne he got, Youko could live without it.

"Because that's what he is. Yomi had always been talented, that's why I've chosen him. I took him in despite his character thinking that discipline and hardship would shape him into greatness, that maybe he will find a role model among the others and change. Once I had convinced myself he was nothing but a liability, I did what I always do - I dropped the dead weight and moved on." He saw the nerves boiling just beneath the surface as Yomi clenched his teeth and fists.

"He is indeed gifted," Ranna admitted, discussing Yomi as if he wasn't in the same room with them, "but also weak-willed, lazy, and overconfident."

"Arrogant," Youko continued in a light-hearted tone, "hypocritic, foolish - he bets everything on a single card and if it fails, he has nothing else prepared."

Ranna smiled in slight amusement as she approached Youko. "I have everything planned to take over the Demon world and at the same time, force King Enma into submission. With your knowledge and experience in the Human world, we could rule all three."

"You have Yomi for that," Youko smirked. "Puppet shows had never been my hobby."

"I find them quite entertaining, as long as I pull the strings. If I wanted Yomi, you can see that I already have him, and I had for years. I don't want an unstable character such as Yomi by my side - he bores me terribly and my temper happens to be rather short."

"Find another puppet, then," Youko concluded their discussion. "I want you to call off your people and stop spreading this disease. After all, what worth is it reining over a graveyard?"

"Accurate as always." Ranna went past Yomi and towards the curtains which led to a different room, adorned in plants as the rest of the palace. "This is what I am willing to offer you this time. Personally, I found it to be of no real value during the first few years, but now I see why you two shared such a special bond. I've never seen such loyalty before... No matter what we've tried, physical, mental, or spiritual, he didn't even betray you in his delusions... Not even while he was comatose, high, or one step away from death. My telepaths were left questioning their abilities - truly remarkable."

By this point, Youko was questioning Yomi with a silent staredown. Although blind, Yomi could hear the movements of his former ally very clearly, even those of his face muscles. He heard his heartbeat and the sweat breaking out along his spine, cold and unforgiving, betraying his stoic attitude. There was only one who could have met that description, although his mind kept telling him that it was impossible. It had been two centuries that very day...

There were steps outside, but at that moment, nothing mattered. He felt all kinds of scents blended together as someone was approaching - his ears picked up two sets of shoes inside Ranna's quarters in unison and the terrifying dragging of something soft. Was that blood he felt or was it something else? He couldn't decide. For the first time in centuries, Youko felt panic gnawn at his mind.

Amara also found two demons approaching her. They were tall and well-built, with sunkissed skin. One was wearing dark blue pants with lateral cuts, exposing even more of the perfect body he possessed and decorated with golden accessories all around. He had white curly hair that looked terribly soft, like the wool of a lamb, falling slightly into his face and the most welcoming smile. The other had sleek dark green hair pulled into a short pigtail behind him, tribal tattoos, and luxurious brown clothes which resembled the attire of a ninja, except much more revealing.

The white-haired demon picked up her bag while the other held out his hand. Amara had been leaning against the wall, enjoying her smoke and listening in on the conversation, but these two didn't look like they were going to leave her alone.

"Good afternoon, my lady. You are awaited in your quarters," the green-haired spoke. He had a lizard tail behind him and some scaley looking patches on his skin.

"Yes, please come with us. You must be tired from traveling all the way from the Human world," the white-haired insisted.

Tempted to refuse, Amara remembered Youko saying she was unimportant twice - once with his words and once with his actions. Ah, what the hell? She had her weapon with her and these two jokers didn't give her any creepy vibes.

"So I'm not a slave anymore, huh?" She blew smoke in their face.

"We've received word to make you comfortable. Is there anything you would desire?" The white-haired demon looked almost human, even with his red eyes. "We will make certain to fulfill any and all of your requests."

"What's your name?" Amara asked as she went along with the demons through the tropical jungle greenhouse.

"We have none," the green-haired lizard replied. "We are Shadows, that's all."

Amara didn't look impressed. "I won't tell her if you give me your names. Everyone has a name."

"Not us," the lizard continued. "You see, we've been born here - we've never received names. The outsiders have to forget theirs, but we have no such burden to carry."

That was odd. "How should I call you, then?"

"Us, Shadows, generally communicate face to face. Names are useless once you involve yourself personally with the one in front of you." The white-haired boy stopped in front of a door and opened it. "Please, after you."

Amara's hand was hovering over her pins. She thought about how fast she could unseal her weapon if she needed to fight. However, she was greeted by a large room with a wide bed, a Roman bath further in, two sofas, an empty shelf perfect for all of her notes, and a woman servant.

"...Talk about royal treatment," she mumbled to herself.

"Please, feel free to ask for anything you wish," the white-haired demon reminded her with a wink before leaving her bag by the door and walking away.

The woman had light pink hair and blue eyes. She approached Amara with her head low. What kind of demon was she? Amara had a hard time making up her mind about this. The woman smiled kindly and tried to undress Amara. When she slapped her hands off, the servant took three steps back and gestured towards the bath. Why not speak, though...?

"Are you alright?" Amara asked her.

The servant nodded. She then opened her mouth to show that she had her tongue missing. Amara needed a minute to understand the situation, but once she did, a cold shiver ran down her spine.

"Is this some punishment?"

The woman shook her head. It was not. This mortified Amara even more. Was Ranna cutting off the tongues of servants as some stupid rule of hers? This was getting too much, and she had only arrived in the devil's lair. Faced with the awkwardness of refusal and afraid this might get the girl in trouble, Amara undressed shyly and stepped into the bath. The pink-haired girl sat on her knees on the edge and poured salts and flower petals into the water, and some kind of a balm which made the water feel like silk. The girl then gave her the gentlest massage while washing her hair. Despite her trust issues and every corner of her mind screaming danger, Amara's body was melting into a deeper state of relaxation with every minute.

Suddenly, the girl became aware of a terrible feeling rooting inside of her gut. There was nothing that would stop her from thinking about Kurama - something had to have happened and it couldn't be good. She sat up, muttered an apology, rinsed her hair, and walked out of the bath. The servant barely had time to handle her a bathrobe as Amara unsealed her weapon. She wrapped herself up in the robe and then rushed outside.

The sun was already setting and the greenhouse was anything but inviting. The abundant vegetation created layers upon layers of shade and the birds made weird noises and calls - it was plain creepy. She tried to remember which way led to Ranna's quarters when a hand caught her from behind a tree trunk covered in moss, orchids, and a gigantic variegated Monstera Deliciosa. A second hand slammed itself over her mouth, muffling a sharp scream. She aimed her needles at her attacker's throat before she recognized the voice.

"Shh! It's me, don't worry."

* * *

_**Author's note: **_

_So we've met Ranna. What do you think about her? Could you see Youko attracted to a powerful demon like her?_

_Let me know in a review or in a PM. Also, follow and favorite. _

_This was a bit plain because I needed a new setting for the next few chapters. Things are about to pick up soon._


	11. Seeds

The sun was already setting and the greenhouse was anything but inviting. The abundant vegetation created layers upon layers of shadows and the birds made weird noises and calls - it was plain creepy. She tried to remember which way led to Ranna's quarters when a hand caught her from behind a tree trunk covered in moss, orchids, and a gigantic variegated Monstera Deliciosa. A second hand slammed itself over her mouth, muffling a sharp scream. She aimed her needles at her attacker's throat before she recognized the voice.

"Shh! It's me, don't worry. I will explain, but I need you to stay quiet."

Worry turned into anger as Amara spun on her heels to face Yomi. She barely reached above his elbow, but that didn't stop her from whisper-yelling at him.

"What the hell! I'm going to kill you if you don't take your hands off me right now! Where is Kurama? What time is it? What on earth is this place?!"

Yomi smirked. "Youko always had a thing for edgier women," the demon caught Amara's wrist as she was about to slap him, "But I didn't expect it from a human."

Amara twisted her arm to distract him and slapped him with her other hand hard enough for it to echo through the greenhouse and turn his head to the side. Yomi felt his face burning.

"Answer my fucking questions or get out of my way!"

"What if I told you we are on the same side?"

"I'd say you're full of it!"

Yomi gestured for her to go ahead and tried to place his hand on her shoulder to lead the way. "I'll take you to his room - I suppose that's what you want."

"Touch me again, I'll break your arm."

"Unlikely," Yomi chuckled. "There is something Kurama wanted to discuss with you as well. I told him I would go looking for you, as he was a little busy." The demon waited to hear any sign of jealousy from Amara. He heard her heart skipping a beat, but that wasn't enough to confirm his assumption.

"Right... How did you convince Kurama to trust you, traitor?"

"You've got a very sharp tongue for my taste."

"You've got a very big ego for a king who kneels like a servant."

That's when one of the glass doors opened and Kurama appeared in his human form. He seemed a little disappointed in their interaction, but there was clearly something else consuming him. Amara didn't need more than a glance to understand something serious had happened.

"Please, come inside."

As the two entered, he used vegetation to cover the door and make it impossible to reach. Large, fibrous leaves were covering the walls and the ceiling, while a few bioluminescent flowers lit up the room. On the bed laid what looked like the mere outline of a demon with choppy dark hair and sickly pale skin, broken wings and limbs, and bandages covered in foul-smelling blood. Yomi heard her heartbeat going up rapidly. She was shaking, drawn like a magnet by curiosity while at the same time, repulsed by her natural instincts.

"...I-is he...?"

"Alive, somehow," Kurama sighed. He sat in an armchair, staring blankly ahead, towards the bed. "I've done everything I knew. Now, it's... out of my hands."

Amara turned towards Yomi. "You can start explaining any second now."

"First of all, let me say that I never knew she had captured Kuronue. I've been down in the dungeons many times, but the structure is enormous and even I have limited access, just like everyone else."

"That's very convenient for you," Amara accused him.

"Allow him to speak, Amara... I may need to hear this again."

The girl crossed her arms over her chest. She gestured for Yomi to go on.

"You see, I do want my kingdom back, but this time, I want it to be mine alone. I have a son now and I would like him to learn from my youthful mistakes so he could become greater than I ever will. However, as much as I despise admitting this, I am not capable of defeating Ranna on my own. Then, there are the Shadows, under the command of Shin, who is a formidable opponent even on his own. With how much power Ranna has been able to gather, I don't see how else she could fall, unless..." Yomi shrugged and tilted his head towards Kurama.

"He wants me to formulate a strategy that would bring her down, one way or another," Kurama clarified. "It's much more complicated than that, though. We also need the cure for the disease she had released into the Demon and Spirit world. Yomi doesn't know if this cure even exists. He doesn't know about the disease or any useful details which might help us corner her. There are approximately 30 000 Shadows, out of which Yomi estimates 5 000 to 10 000 fighters."

Amara nodded and sat on the bench at the foot of the bed. "How strong is the majority of them?"

"The Shadows fight in teams. The leader is usually an upper A or S class by Koenma's standards. There are three or five of the leader's disciples on each team, who have completed their training and are usually upper B class or higher. The rest are Shadows in training, middle B class or higher, who will sacrifice themselves to protect the others and are generally the front-line of attack. If the tactic of the leader involves a distraction, it's them who will perform the riskiest maneuvers. One team consists of ten to fifty fighters, including the leader."

"...Splendid," Amara concluded. "That means we must avoid confrontations at all costs. Is there any way that some of the Shadows might turn against her?"

"Probably if they were alone, but they are never alone. The Shadows always go in groups, and are usually paired so they have different backgrounds, motivations, and personalities."

Kurama sighed quietly. "She's thought of everything..." But there had to be something, everyone has flaws. There has to be a weakness in this entire structure.

"Yes, that's why I've had difficulties trying to break out from under her influence." Yomi occupied the other armchair. "I trust someone with your experience and wit will be able to spot something I haven't."

"Yomi," Kurama asked in a cold tone, "What are the chances for Ranna to hold others from my band hostage at this time?"

"I don't know-!"

"Estimate," Kurama interrupted Yomi before he could excuse himself.

"...I suppose it could be possible," the demon mumbled.

"I despite vague information. Let me make this clear for you, Yomi. The fate of three worlds depends on you telling the truth. I have decided to trust you one more time despite your history of going behind my back, only following the speech you've given me earlier about how much you've changed and how responsible you feel for bringing up your son the way you wish your father would have done. If you will keep information from me now, or if you will try to turn on me again, there will be no world left for your son. Given his age and your protective nature, I wouldn't count on his immune system to keep him alive for long after the epidemic reaches your oasis. Ranna doesn't seem very willing to keep you around anymore, so I doubt she would give your son the cure if he were to fall ill."

After a long moment of silence, Yomi let out a small growl and turned his head to the side. "Akito, Koji, and Saburo are Generals, they lead the larger operations and answer to Shin directly. They had also completed Shin's training. Goro, Ichiro, Kohaku, Naoki, Ryunosuke, and Taroku are Commanders, they train other Shadows and lead their teams. Ryunosuke is currently training under Shin - he has been for six years. Yasu is one of the accountants, I'm not sure what role he has there. That's all I know."

"That's a lot of people," Amara pointed out. "Perhaps we could-!"

"Little girl, I appreciate your foolish enthusiasm, and trust me, I know how you feel, but they had switched sides. There's no coming back from the initiation process, their spirit is broken. They have no name, they have no feelings, no loyalty to anyone other than Ranna!"

Kurama kept his glacial calm. "Broken or not, they may be our only chance. How good is your hearing, Yomi? Can you detect the finer twitches and spasms of one's body, those involuntary reactions?"

"Along with their organs and their breathing, yes," the demon answered.

"Make sure that they know about my presence. I want every single one of them to know that Youko is here and that we will be enjoying one last raid together - one to gain freedom. I want you to listen for a reaction and relate it to me precisely. Also, I want to speak with Saburo alone and in person."

Yomi shook his head. "That's impossible!"

"Tell Saburo my request and forget about it. He should be able to do the rest easily." Kurama stood up and paced around the room, approaching his partner. Kuronue had remained loyal through two centuries of constant torture. That was something Youko wouldn't have wished to his worst enemy. "Tell me, Yomi, is there anyone else in the dungeons?"

"I don't know who is in the dungeons! Bodies are being incinerated every day and some are being used to feed carnivorous plants. Even if there was someone still alive in there, which I doubt, they could be completely erased from this world without leaving a trace in less than a minute."

Amara shivered. "Oh, God..."

The red-haired looked at his friend in hopes of finding even the faintest hint of recovery. He saw none. "I normally wouldn't take such risks, but in this situation, if we fail, there won't be a second chance. Failure without trial is guaranteed, yet if we try and fail, we will at least find comfort in that, I suppose, for as long as we will still exist."

Amara stood up and went by his side. She found her place in his arms and tried to offer him some kind of support. Looking at Kuronue was difficult for her, even if she didn't know the man personally. She couldn't imagine what it might have felt like for Kurama - from what he said about Kuronue before, they had been really close. Ranna's speech only confirmed her suspicion. Amara used to fight with a partner as well. She was certain she would have turned the world upside-down if her former partner had ended up in a state even remotely similar to Kuronue's.

Bitter, but grateful to have someone next to him, Kurama held her and rested his head on top of hers.

"Should I go?" Yomi spoke after a few moments of silence.

The leaves blocking the door parted enough for him to leave and the demon took the chance given to make his way into his own room. If Shin were to discover their little plot, he was certain that Ranna will hurt his child in order to punish him. It was her style to kill those closest to her victim in gruesome ways. That was also part of the initiation, which he had been avoiding for centuries.

Left alone, Amara tried to lead Kurama away from the side of the bed. Looking at Kuronue in that state didn't help any of them, especially Kurama. He didn't budge.

"Please, let's sit down. Standing by his bed won't help him."

Kurama shook his head. "You can go if you want. I'm staying."

She sighed and held him closer. "What is your plan, Kurama?"

"I want you to work closely with Saburo. He is a Mazuko, and one of the first men Kuronue and I recruited for our band. He has been with us for centuries and if I am correct, he has been training the hardest while in this environment. I knew Ranna would go after my men and when Yomi mentioned Saburo was a General, I could see possibly the only weakness in her structure. I want you to awaken him to his true self, make him remember who he used to be before this initiation process, which I suspect to be constant psychological torture."

"I would do anything for you, but how am I supposed to do this?"

Kurama sighed. "I'm afraid I don't have all the answers..."

"Then tell me about him, tell me something that would matter to him..."

"I expect him to be changed... He was the most ruthless of us, a perfect assassin, efficient and silent. He used to be very direct, and I expect him to care even less for useless details now than he did back then. Remember when I told you about Inuki?"

The memory sent a cold chill down her spine. Amara remembered it clearly - they were on his balcony, drinking wine, and she was smoking. It was night time with clear skies... He told her about Inuki, who left his band willingly to train and become a Shadow, having been promised a brilliant military career, riches, and stability. He had been later returned to the group more dead than alive, with gruesome injuries, parasites, plants, and other organisms feeding off of him, delusional, and suffering from a number of diseases. Some of Youko's men suffered the side effects of brief direct contact with Inuki's dying corpse, which maintained a faint heartbeat despite it all, only explained by adrenaline or other substances with a similar effect having been administrated to him.

"Yes... What about him?"

After a long moment of watching Kuronue, Kurama continued. "Saburo was his in-law. His sister was Inuki's wife. I would allow him to leave on a regular basis from our camp for several days at a time to visit her and the baby while we thought Inuki was training and chasing his dream career."

She looked up at him. His eyes had a hint of gold in them. Amara could see him transported into another space and time, deep within his memories... She also saw pain and regret.

"What happened to the two after...?"

"I believe they were killed. Saburo wanted to ambush Ranna, but I refused. We were barely a handful of demons and although we were A-class, most of Ranna's Shadows were at a similar level of energy and skill. I wanted to wait, gather more men, train them, come up with a plan, possibly gain some leaked information. Saburo offered to infiltrate the Shadows for us. Kuronue and a few others disagreed, but I allowed him. We lost all contact soon after that. He was close to reaching the S-class when this happened, so I expect him to be much more powerful now. He's always been the most disciplined of us all... training endlessly, asking for time off to master different techniques from different masters all across Demon world... He would much rather put his body and soul through hell than to party with some women at a bar and get drunk. He is the polar opposite of everything Yomi had ever been - if anyone might have remained sane after Ranna's initiation, it's him."

Blinking, Amara realized there was a tear spilling from the corner of her eye, running fast past her nose and following the curve of her cheek. Kurama noticed it too and wiped it away gently.

"Saburo won't care for your emotions, but I doubt he will hurt you."

Amara nodded. "How are you doing, Kurama...? With everything that's going on..."

"This isn't the time to worry about me. I will keep Ranna distracted as long as possible, and I trust you to carry out the plan for us."

"One mention, though," she said as she stepped back from his arms. "I don't trust Yomi."

A small, bitter smirk tugged at the red-haired's lips. "Neither do I. In fact, I suspect that he plans to use us in order to betray Ranna, then turn against me once more. He's never been a true leader, he has no idea how to govern a kingdom, and his experience had been limited by following Ranna's orders. Naturally, he will want us to keep doing the thinking for him."

"You mean he'll want you," Amara smiled. "You're brilliant."

"So are you. It's one of the first things I have noticed about you, and one of the reasons I am asking you to carry out the plan. I know you're more than capable of this."

Amara gave him a reassuring smile. "I'll do my best... Although, I might accidentally predict Yomi's broken arms if he keeps trying to touch me."

"I'm sure he would take your punishment over mine any day," Kurama said with a hint of darkness. He held Amara's hands and eventually sat on the bench at the foot of the bed, pulling the girl into his arms. "I have some rather creative ideas..."

The girl wrapped her arms around his neck and shoulders. "Why don't you tell me the rest of the plan?"

"I believe you've figured out what I want to do with Saburo's help. It's your idea from earlier."

"I'm flattered - the Great Strategist considered my idea!" she chuckled.

Kurama laid his forehead on her chest, listening to her heart beating. "You'll be going into the Human world with Saburo - I'll make sure you two go alone, or with another one of my former men. I want you to contact a few people for me and have them carry out the rest of my instructions. We'll need to be perfectly synchronized in order for this to work. Also, please warn everyone to act as if the plague had already infected everyone around them. I know it sounds drastic, but we all need to be extremely careful. If Ranna has found some of my notes, which I suspect she had, with or without Yomi's help, then this disease will be beyond what any doctor from any of the Three Worlds is capable of imagining."

"What are you going to be doing?"

"I'll plant a few seeds..."


End file.
